


to do a great right (is to do a little wrong)

by commandmetobewell



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Beifong-Centric, Blood and Violence, Break Up, Character Study, Child Neglect, F/F, F/M, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Korrasami is just a side ship here, Kyalin is the main ship, Major Character Injury, Miscarriage, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Siblings, Smut, Toph is not a bad mom she's just trying her best, Unplanned Pregnancy, also fyi pretty much everyone is bi or gay, bc i reject the random kanto guy as lin's father, because why not, but i think it's not as painful as the end of an era, it's really all about the Beifongs, pls don't hate her, some canon divergence with lin and su's fathers, sorry but not sorry, yup it's another pain fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-10-14 07:06:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 72,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17503925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/commandmetobewell/pseuds/commandmetobewell
Summary: "It's easy to do nothing; it's hard to forgive." - Avatar Aang.orHow the Beifongs' learn to grow anew from soiled roots, to love and live their lives in peace.





	1. Toph I

**Author's Note:**

> I'm rewatching ATLA/LoK again and realizing I'm 10000000% in love with the beifongs so take this long ass piece of shit. if you're looking for korrasami, it's in here but not the main ship. if you want more character study on the beifong's you're in the right place. it's a commandmetobwell classic pain fic, so settle in, strap on your seatbelts, grab your tissues, and away we go :) :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not." - Uncle Iroh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so like as a PSA this is the backstory i imagined toph to have as a parent, and i don't condone abuse or anything but i feel like toph struggled as a parent in terms of being affectionate towards lin and su and yeah like even though she says some pretty mean things in here trust me she develops her character and everything works out in the end i swear!

Toph Beifong learns the world is cruel, no matter her service record, nor her reputation.

She was an exclusive member of Team Avatar, the first metal bender, and a saviour of the world, but it doesn't even matter.

It's not that Toph doesn't care, but rather the opposite. Having been raised in a family full of non-believers and shallow-minds, Toph was never one to portray her emotions on her sleeve. Her restrictions made her callous and pessimistic, cold and unaffected by loss or pain. She strayed from finding love, instead choosing to devote her life to her duty as Republic City's Chief of Police. She brings honour to the family that never cared to know her true spirit, and garners the love of her people. She remains close with Aang, Zuko, Katara, Sokka, and even Suki. While her mind stays focused on her career and her future, she still finds time to warm her bed, to keep herself from being lonely.

But when she wakes up one morning to  _his_  half-naked body prone beside her and nausea in her gut, she realizes just how cruel the world is.

* * *

"You're pregnant."

"Saying it five times won't change the prognosis," Toph mutters as she looks to her feet. "Say something else or leave."

She can feel Katara wince from in front of her. "Do I know the father?"

"Do you _want_ to know, Princess?"

"Toph," Katara sighs as she bends the water from her hands back into the pot. When Toph had come in earlier asking for Katara to check on something in private, this was definitely not something she had expected. She never thought Toph to be someone to settle down, not even when they first met.

"Yes," Toph mumbles after a few moments. "You know him."

Katara doesn't say anything. She knows it can only be one of two people, considering there aren't that many men she knows outside of their closest friends. She doesn't want to think about her brother, but she knows that he had developed a bond with Toph while still with Suki. She didn't pry often, and Sokka never cared to share what happened between the confines of his house, and she never cared to know. He was happy, and that was all that ever mattered. Yet, Katara also knew that Zuko wasn't entirely out of the picture, what with him and Toph often spending time together after Mai broke up with him a few months ago. As she looks to her friend, she notices that Toph isn't willing to share more than what she's already said.

"How long…," Toph clears the faintest hint of emotion from her throat. "How long until the kid's due?"

Katara bends some water around the faint swell of her friend's belly. "Five or six months."

Toph sighs, shaking her head, before she takes a deep breath and steadies herself.

"I'll see you in five or six months, then."

* * * 

When Lin Beifong comes into the world, fists swinging and feet kicking, Toph realizes that even in a cruel world, she can still be happy.

She's six pounds of fight and fire, and when Katara clears the birthing fluid and blood from her face, it isn't hard to deduce who her father is.

"I wish he knew," she hears Toph murmur as she cradles Lin's small frame to her chest. "But he can't. Not now."

"He deserves to know, Toph. He's her father," Katara urges as she glances out to where Zuko and Sokka are anxiously waiting the news. She sees little Bumi wrapped in Aang's strong arms, her husband's beaming smile radiating with joy as he engages the other two men in conversation.

She glances over to Zuko, the man beaming as he talks with Sokka. His daughter, Izumi, barely two years old is wrapped around his leg. Toph knows that him and Mai had their feud in the midst of her infancy, leaving the fire-bender to raise his daughter alone for the first two years. Rumour had it that Mai had turned to the bottle, but Zuko barely discusses the other woman.

"One day, I'll tell him. I promise." Toph doesn't take her eyes off of her daughter, even if she cannot see any of her features. It settles within her, for a moment. It's a sharp pain, a brief stab of dismay as she nods her head back up to Katara and sighs.

"You know what's the worst part?" Toph mumbles as she feels her throat constrict. "I don't… I don't even know what she looks like."

Katara takes a moment to digest the information. Clearing her throat, she leans forward and whispers, "I don't think you have to, Toph."

Lin sighs contently against the master earth-bender's chest, her small fingers curling into a fist. Toph smiles, her gaze watery and bittersweet.

"No," she says with a soft smile, "I don't suppose I do."

Toph knows then, as Lin yawns against her chest and snuggles closer, that this precious bundle of life is the most beautiful thing to exist in the world. Toph's hands are used to the sharp, jagged features of rock and the smooth chill of metal, not the delicate softness of new life.

But, as she feels Lin's grey-green irises--littered with small gold flecks--blink up at her, Toph's hands finally stop shaking.

* * *

To say Toph isn't cut out for motherhood is an understatement.

The first few years, Toph tries to be the warm, maternal figure that she once ached for in her own parents, but her old habits die hard. Once Lin discovers her bending at the tender age of two, Toph can't help but try to foster the same strength she cultivated in herself into her own flesh and blood. Lin becomes steadfast and strong, she barely cries and rarely talks with the other children. The only child she ever spoke more than three words with was Kya, Katara's second daughter. While they were only a year apart in age, Kya managed to get through to Lin when Toph even couldn't. The two were inseparable, to say the least. Wherever Lin went, Kya followed. They were never without each other.

Even as Lin begins to blossom into her early childhood, she doesn't change much. Lin isn't a big speaker, much like her parents in that way, but she's careful with her behaviour. She's a quiet, intelligent girl, as she learns from her daughter's daycare leaders and school teachers. She is academically gifted, a natural-born earth-bender, and by the time she is three, she is able to metal-bend her mother's police coils. Toph knows that when she reaches her teens, Lin will be as great as she is, if not greater. She's proud of her daughter and loves her with every ounce of her soul. When Katara had told her that Lin's eyes were the same as her own, she could already picture it: a miniature Toph.

But, as she learns when she overhears Lin crying in her room one night, a miniature Toph was never something she could've wanted for her child.

"What's wrong?" Toph asks, a little gruff as she swings open the door. At the sound of her voice, she hears Lin straighten and wipe her eyes.

"Nothing, Mom. I was just rubbing my eyes."

"You're lying, Lin." Toph hates that she's so callous, so unable to comfort her own daughter. "Tell me what happened."

Lin is quiet for a few moments before she shuffles her pillows on the bed and swallows thickly.

When silence ensues again, Toph can't bite back the frustration.

"Speak up, Lin!" Toph doesn't mean to yell, honestly, but she can't help it. She feels her own parents' expectations claw down her neck. When she hears Lin sharply wince, she knows she's made a mistake. She expects tears, screaming, yelling, crying--something that would make her reach out and comfort her daughter. She is about to apologize, to step forward and draw her daughter into a hug, when the most dreadful thing happens.

She hears her four-year-old daughter straighten her back, take a deep breath, and then exhale.

"I am fine," Lin replies, her voice as cold as the blood running through Toph's veins. "Please, Mom, don't worry. I was showing a moment of weakness. I promise, it will never happen again." Toph's mouth opens and closes, and she feels the sharp tendrils of guilt fire through her.

"Lin…," she trails off, but she can't find the words. Devastation sets within her bones as she sense Lin shake her head and crawl back into bed.

She doesn't know how long she stands there, staring at her daughter's sleeping frame, but eventually, she feels the sun-rays bleed upon her face.

For a moment, Toph worries that she will never feel Lin shed a tear again.

* * * 

Since that day, Toph finds herself stooping back to her old ways. 

She fights and she fucks around, she barely comes home in time to see her daughter. It's not that she wants to leave the girl on her own, but the guilt that consumes her outweighs her ability to care for Lin. She drowns herself in her city and with random men and women to try and ease the pain which burns like a fire within her. Zuko, now happily re-married to Mai, politely declines her company. Sokka and Suki still open their doors and she warms their bed for a few nights. They worry for her, and more importantly, they worry for Lin.

One day, after a long few hours spent busting a few Triads, it is Aang who finds her by the docks helping her officers round up some straggling gangsters. He doesn't attempt to hide the sound of his footsteps as he approaches her. Toph doesn't react, bare for a snort.

"Twinkletoes," she greets him before he can speak, "didn't know you still cared about this city."

"Toph," he tells her as he ignores the jab, his voice stern. "What are you still doing here?"

"Nice to see you haven't learned a thing." Toph attempts a joke, but it falls flat as she avoids the topic. "I'm doing your job, obviously."

"Where's Lin?" Aang cuts to the chase, and Toph winces.

"At home, probably."

"By herself?"

"She can take care of herself, Aang. She's not being hopelessly coddled--," she stops herself, clenching her teeth as she hears Aang draw a sharp breath. "She's _fine_ , Twinkletoes. She metal-bent my table yesterday and flung it into the garden. I think she can take care of herself."

"She's five, Toph. No matter her ability or power, she is still a child-- _your_ child. She needs her parents. She needs  _you_."

"She doesn't need me," Toph mutters as she looks away, "I'm not cutout to be a mother. I'm not exactly the most affectionate woman."

"So you just figured you would abandon her instead?" Aang replies, iron filling his voice. "Toph--"

"I didn't abandon her!" Toph screams, whirling on her friend as she kicks up a piece of rock from beside her. "She… she doesn't need me."

Aang shakes his head, stepping forward to place his hand on her shoulder. "She will always need you, Toph. You cannot do this to her."

"Do think I don't love her?" Toph asks, but the question is empty, void of malice or hurt. Rather, it is filled with guilt. "I love her so much, Aang. But sometimes… sometimes I look at her and I see what I've done, and I feel like maybe it would be better if I was never there to begin with."

"Then she would be as lonely as you were," Aang counters with a squeeze to her shoulder. "Doesn't she deserve better than that? Don't _you_?"

Toph doesn't answer immediately, and when Aang can tell that she won't reply, he leaves with a sigh.

Later that night, as she files her police report, Toph hangs her head on her desk with shame. She closes the drawer and locks up the station, she holds back tears. She drives home in silence, thinking about her daughter, about the niggling remorse that spreads in her chest. 

And when she opens the door to feel Lin slumped against the couch and a cold cup of tea on the coffee table, Toph feels her heart sink deeper into the Earth. As she gathers her daughter's sleeping form into her arms, she's reminded of the day when Lin first came into the world. Tears burn in her eyes as she bypasses Lin's room and carries her daughter to her own quarters. She pulls back the covers and lays her daughter in the middle. After stripping to her pyjamas, Toph crawls under the covers and draws Lin close to her chest. She focuses on the soft inhales and exhales of her child, and she cries.

"I'm sorry," she whispers as she kisses Lin's head delicately, "I'll be better, I swear. I love you, kid. I love you, so much."

But when Lin wakes up, she is serious and cold, simply greeting her mother with a soft hello before stumbling down the hall to prepare some tea. Toph tries to cajole her into staying a few moments in bed, even offers to tell her a tale of when she was young and with the _Gaang_. But Lin politely refuses, bowing her head as she says that she must get started on the tea. Toph doesn't know what to say in response.

And as she stares after her, honing in on the pitter patter of her daughter's steady footsteps, Toph realizes she's never felt so defeated.

* * * 

Suyin comes into her life as a surprise. With Lin nearly six-years-old, Toph never expected to have another child.

Especially considering her royal fuck-up the first time around, she thinks to herself as Katara nods the confirmation of the life within her.

Lin takes the news without an ounce of emotion, simply nodding her head and grasping Toph's shoulder in a quiet congratulations. Toph hates herself every time she feels Lin suppress any ounce of feeling. Her own daughter squanders away her happiness, sadness, anger, fear--better than she ever could. Even Katara, who's initial happiness at the news of the new child, begins to frown at the seriousness of her daughter.

When Lin leaves to speak with Kya, Toph glances away from the pregnant water-bender.

"You need to talk to her," Katara advises gently, trying to not prod her more than she had expected. "Her energy is suffocating, Toph… it's…"

"I know," Toph growls as she holds her head in her hands. "I've tried everything, but there's no getting through to her. God, I can't even remember the last time I hugged her. I know I don't hug people and I'm not big on affection, but I don't even show my own kid any affection. She must hate me or think I'm a failure. I knew I wasn't ready for this. I… I shouldn't have had her… I should have done something to stop it." 

"She doesn't hate you," Katara immediately jumps in with a shake of her head. "She loves you, Toph, but she's… she's built these walls."

" _I_ built them," Toph snarls at herself, cursing her mind and her body for its inability to create something new. "I won't do that to Su."

"Lin can still be saved," Katara urges her friend, sensing the defeat flowing off the earth-bender in waves. "Su is not your second chance, Toph."

Toph turns her head towards the door, gazing after her daughter with a sharp intake of breath.

"I hope you're right."

* * *

Lin takes to being an elder sister as well as she takes to being a prodigal metal and earth bender.

Toph can't help but feel relieved when she feels the hints of protection and love swirl in her daughter's aura, and she blesses the spirits for allowing Suyin to break through those tough walls that she had instilled in her daughter. Lin holds her baby sister in her arms and kisses her forehead, whispering promises of sweet things, of love and happiness and everything that Toph knows that Lin never experienced.

"She's beautiful, Mom." Lin's voice is pure, filled with happiness and awe. And then that voice sets, determined and proud.

"I will protect her with all of my heart," she promises her mother, holding a whimpering Suyin closer to her chest. "I will always love her."

"I love both of you," Toph whispers as she reaches out and draws her first-born into her chest. "I love you, Lin."

She hates that Lin's chest stutters or that she takes a moment to digest before she struggles to reply, "I love you too, Mom."

From that day forward, Toph vows to be better, to be stronger, to be a mother that she always wished for, but never had.

But promises are meant to be broken, and years later, Toph breaks the biggest promise of them all.

* * * 

"I can't believe you," Katara mutters angrily as she continues to bend water against the open gash on Toph's side. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that this guy murdered five people and burnt down an apartment complex for fun and that it might not be a great idea to let him run away," Toph grits out with a sarcastic chuckle. She hears Katara hiss as her stomach lurches. There's something being pulled from her side, and she clenches her hands in the dirt as she feels the cool relief of the water instantly soothing the wound a few moments after.

"What happened?" Toph asks, her voice airy and pained. "That felt worse than Su's labor."

"Getting a nine-inch spike of metal removed from your stomach will usually do that," Katara sighs, shaking her head as she continues to bend water around the wound. "You should have been more careful, Toph. It's not just you anymore. You have your girls you need to look out for."

"They don't need my help," Toph mutters. "Lin's been trying to teach Su earth-bending, but I doubt she'll pick it up anytime soon--"

"Toph," Katara interrupts, placing the water back in the basin. "Enough. You told me that you were trying to change."

"Each time I try to help them, I feel like I am putting too many restrictions on them. They deserve their freedom."

"They're kids, Toph. You can't just abandon--"

"I told Aang and I'll tell you," Toph butts in with a cold glare in her friend's direction. "I provide for them and I give them freedom. Don't get me wrong, Katara. I might not be all lovey-dovey like you and Aang with your little devils, but I still love my children. I haven't abandoned them."

"When was the last time you hugged them?" Katara asks, iron filling her tone. "When was the last time you read to them? Ate with them?"

"Katara--"

"No," Katara says as she shakes her head, "you cannot continue this. Suyin's at least a bit more expressive, but think about Lin. That girl barely shows any emotion--"

"Is that such a bad thing?" Toph whispers, her words soft, afraid--doubtful. Katara gasps, shocked at the question.

"Toph, how could you even--"

"No, listen. It's not… I don't mean. I know she needs to feel, but honestly, look at where 'feeling' got me. I'm lonely as hell, my kids barely feel like my kids, and I'm now getting sloppy at work. I… maybe emotions are overrated, Princess. Maybe it's a good thing that Lin--"

"Stop it," Katara growls icily, "if you don't change, I'll talk to Aang. You cannot continue this. It's neglect, Toph. Don't even deny it."

Toph goes to argue, but she can't find the words. She knows Katara is right, that she's been ignoring her children, but it still hurts nonetheless. Tears well in her eyes as she brushes Katara's arm away. She looks down, holding back the sadness churning in her gut as she sighs.

"I love them," Toph admits softly, "but I don't think I know how to be a mother, Katara. I… I don't think I could ever be ready to be one."

"You have to learn," Katara says, her voice gentle and soothing as she reaches out to graze her shoulder. "We're here, Toph. All of us. Sokka and Suki would be happy to help step in. Zuko and Mai, too. Aang and I are literally an hour's boat ride away. We're here, so lean on us. Don't let them go through what you did, Toph. We saved the world so that our children could experience a bright future. Don't block their light, T."

Toph blinks back tears as she nods, sniffling. "I know… I know, I'll try more. I promise. I… I'm sorry, Katara."

"I know you will," Katara tells her warmly, "because I'll be here to make sure you keep up on that promise. You're like a sister to me, Toph."

"Don't get all star-struck on me yet, Princess." Toph cracks the joke and it lands, smiling as Katara chuckles. "I'm not turning into a total sap."

"Come here, Toph. You know you can't resist a famous Water-Tribe hug."

But as Katara's arms wrap around her shoulders and draw her in an embrace, Toph still feels as though she doesn't deserve the comfort.

* * * 

"She's much like her father," Sokka says with a teasing quip as he winds his arms around Toph's shoulders. "She's a free spirit, you know."

"Wouldn't you know," Toph mutters as she holds back her smile as she hears Suyin and Izumi playing a game with Kya, Bumi, and Tenzin. She can sense Lin sitting on the side, casually watching as she sits in the grass, her fingers weaving through each blade. Suyin giggles and tries to get Lin to play, but the older girl politely declines. Eventually, Kya disengages and comes to sit next to her eldest daughter, their shoulders grazing lightly.

"She's completely your opposite. Not an ounce of brooding or sass," Sokka says as he kneads his fingers into her shoulders, massaging the kinks within them lightly. On her other side, Suki's hands play with her fingers, a smirk playing upon the older woman's lips as she presses them together tightly.

"She's a lot like a certain someone we know, huh Sokka?"

"I would definitely agree, let me just give her my boomerang--"

"Alright," Toph grumbles as she whacks the man's shoulders. "You win. She is exactly like her father. Happy?"

"It's great, Toph." Suki laughs as she nudges Toph's side teasingly. "At least _she_ looks happy."

The dig is meant to be teasing, but Toph still feels her stomach drop as she looks to Lin. Sokka and Suki both sense the mood shift and immediately retract themselves from Toph's side. They stay in silence, the sounds of the children't playing the only sound that fills the background noise.

"I'm sorry," Suki murmurs after awhile. "I didn't mean… I mean… Lin… she's--"

"It's fine," Toph grumbles as she stands roughly. "I have to go. I'll catch up with you guys later, alright?"

Sokka sighs and nods, but Toph doesn't stick around to hear what either of them have to say.

* * * 

As Toph starts taking more cases, the pressure starts to build.

A recent case of a runaway water-bending mobster by the name of Yakone keeps haunting her. The point of concern became so great that Toph had to enlist the help of the Avatar, but it made no differences. Everyday, people were dying, slaughtered in their homes, robbed of their things, and left to rot in the morning sun. Sometimes, the bodies would be so grotesque, Toph wouldn't be able to close her eyes.

As the body count adds up, the pressure builds even more.

And with that pressure comes the nightmares.

Some nights, she dreams that she stands over the slaughtered bodies of innocent children.

Some nights, she dreams that she stands over the slaughtered bodies of her _own_ daughters.

Each nightmare from which she wakes leaves Toph more disorientated than ever. She barely sleeps if she must, and instead drives herself further into her work. Sometimes, she'll aimlessly pace around her house, distraught over her premonitions. At times, she will linger between her daughter's bedroom, eventually to glance inside to assure herself they are safe and alive. She sits at their bedside and weeps.

"I'm sorry," she whispers to her two daughters, watching as Suyin curls up closer to Lin for comfort. "I haven't… I can't…"

But even in the darkness, within the tranquility of the night, Toph still can't find the words.

So instead, she gets up, fashions herself a tall glass of fire-water, and shoves her demons further to the back of her head.

(If she were to look back on her life now, Toph would pin-point this moment as the place where it all fell apart).

* * * 

"Mom, can I talk to you?"

Toph looks up from her desk to see a fourteen-year-old Lin standing at the doorway, hands clasped behind her back.

"Lin," Toph sighs as she looks to the stack of reports on her desk, "I'm a bit busy right now, can we talk later?"

Lin hesitates a moment, and Toph can sense the worry flowing from her daughter's aura. Toph places her pen down and glances up.

"Well then, don't just stand there. Make it quick."

"I was just wondering… if maybe…," Lin stumbles on the words as she wrings her hands together, "if you knew… how to--"

"Lin, for Spirits' sake, spit it out!"

"I got my period," Lin says, her face flushing as she swallows thickly. "I… I think I did at least. I… I don't know what to do."

Toph blushes as she feels the embarrassment spill into Lin's tone, underlying the shame which festers beneath. This is the first time since childhood when Toph finally feels an ounce of emotion radiating from her daughter. The sudden change overwhelms her, and while she wishes that she could stand up and give her the talk, to help guide her daughter, the sharp, bitter burn of the fire-water she'd downed cuts in first.

"You're a woman now, Lin. You have to figure these things out on your own," Toph replies, wincing at her own callous tone. Lin stiffens, and Toph wishes that she could turn back time. She wishes that the world were simpler, that she was different, but life isn't always as it is.

"I understand," Lin says softly, shame filling her voice as she turns away. "I will not disturb you again. I'm sorry, Mom."

Before Toph can reply, Lin leaves without another word, the void between them growing colder and more distant.

* * *

Hours later, when Toph is nursing her fifth drink of the night, Katara comes storming into her office, her eyes ablaze with fury.

"Nice to see you still don't know how to knock," Toph slurs slightly, downing more of the potent alcohol. "What's wrong now, Princess?"

" _What's wrong_?!" Katara demands as she slams the door shut. "Care to explain to me why Lin asked _me_ how to handle her period while you're here getting wasted?" Toph barely flinches as Katara spits the words out at her with venom lacing each letter. She shrugs, reaching for the bottle of fire-water in her drawer. She pours herself another shot and downs it, grimacing at the spicy burn that tears at her throat.

"Toph," Katara growls, "I warned you, if you ever--"

"I was working!" Toph shouts as she slams the glass down. "Someone has to protect this city, and your husband--the _Avatar,_ mind you--is doing diddly-squat. Not all of us have time to frolic and run free and play, Princess. I've been tracking Yakone for weeks and still--"

"I don't care about that," Katara interrupts with a flash of her hand, "right now, your priority should be your children, Toph."

"I won't have any children if this monster keeps on the street," Toph quips back, growling. "You haven't been on these cases, you haven't seen what he has done. Women, children, elderly--no one is safe from him. If I can't protect this city, how can I ever protect my daughters?!"

Katara doesn't speak as Toph shakes her head, her hands shakily reaching for the bottle again. "If you have seen what I have…," she drifts off, her fingers curling around the glass as she raises it to her lips. "I can't see, and I'm thankful for that, but I can still sense things. I… Ever since you had Tenzin and Aang discovered he was an air-bender, he hasn't helped with any of this. I'm on my own, but it's… sometimes…"

Toph struggles with the words as she swallows another gulp of the fire-water. "Sometimes, even _I_ can't take it."

"You need to stop letting alcohol solve your problems then," Katara replies after awhile, her voice softer and less angry than before. "Maybe… maybe you should talk to someone, Toph? You could talk to me. I know that I haven't seen what you've seen, but I know trauma and loss--"

"I have nightmares," Toph cuts in, her head bowed as her fingers trace the rim of her glass. "I have nightmares that sometimes the bodies that I see everyday, the blood and the violence, that the victims aren't strangers. Sometimes it's Zuko or Sokka, sometimes you or Aang…," Toph takes a breath as she shakes her head, trying to hold back the tears that well up and sting at her eyes.

"Sometimes," Toph chokes out as she looks up at Katara defeatedly, "sometimes it's them… Su and Lin. I… If I ever lost them, I don't think I would ever forgive myself. The truth is… I would rather them be alive and hate me than for me to lose them altogether."

"That's no way to live, Toph," Katara sighs with sympathy in her voice, "you need to deal with your problems, you can't drink them away."

"I don't know how else to deal with them," Toph mumbles as she slides the glass to the side. "Maybe… maybe the kids should stay with you for a few months. Just until I get my feet back on the ground." Toph looks up, tears sliding down her cheeks as she shrugs helplessly.

"Toph--"

"You were right, Princess. I… I've been neglecting them. I didn't even give my own daughter 'the talk'. Maybe being a parent isn't something I'm supposed to be right now," Toph sighs dejectedly. "I need to finish this case. Once Yakone is off the streets, I will be able to focus on them."

Katara digests the information slowly, silently, and Toph hates the silence which passes with every moment.

"I'll speak with Aang about Yakone," Katara says after sometime, her voice pensive and soft. "In the meantime, I'll take Su and Lin to Air Temple Island. They're not in school so I'll tell them it is for a small vacation. Kya enjoys spending time with Lin, and Bumi and Su get along well."

Toph nods, her throat drying up as she struggles to find the words. "Thank you… I… I didn't want this for them… but I…"

"I know," Katara says softly, "I'm sorry, Toph. I know you can't be happy about this, but it's for the best."

"I hope so," Toph whispers as she holds her throbbing head in her hands, "I honestly hope so."

* * * 

"What do you mean we're leaving?" Su asks, crossing her arms in a huff. "I was planning to go out with my friends here, Mom!"

"You can see your friends when you get back," Toph assures her as she watches Lin neatly pack her and her sister's belongings. "I promise, you will only be visiting your Aunt Katara and Uncle Aang for a few weeks. It will be a good break for the both of you." As Lin closes the suitcase, Toph feels her eldest daughter turn in her direction.

"Will I still be able to complete my police training?" Lin asks. "I've almost completed all the written modules."

"Lin," Toph sighs as she reaches out to pat her daughter's shoulder. "You've just turned fifteen. You can't apply to be on the force until you're at least twenty. Why do you want to be a police officer so bad? I mean, have you seen your mother, kid? What's so great about me, huh?"

Lin stays quiet for a moment before replying, "I want to protect this city just as you do, Mom."

"Suck up," Su mutters under her breath as she rolls her eyes. "More like you just want to kiss Mom's ass, right Linnie?"

Lin flinches but barely reacts to the jab as she straights her back even further. "I just want to make you proud, Mom."

Toph hates the way those words settle in her stomach. She feels her own childhood memories creep back in, and she knows that as she looks to Lin, that she's inherited the worst traits from both her and her father. She remembers vying for her mother's attention, for her father's pride. She remembers the years she spent after The Great War building her reputation, to establish a new name for the Beifong clan. And she remembers that on his deathbed, how he said nothing but a whispered farewell. Never once did he ever tell her he was proud of her. 

What if, Toph thinks, she ends up the same way?

"Come on," Toph says, clearing her throat and choosing to not reply to Lin's admission. "If we don't leave now, you'll miss the ferry."

* * * 

It happens when they all least expect it.

It is in the middle of the night when phone call comes through, informing the police of the attack on Air Temple Island.

"Get me on the next ferry, now!" Toph orders her officers as she slams the phone down and bends her uniform on. She rushes through the doors to her Satomobile, revving the engines and pulling out towards the docks. When she had heard the mangled distress call from Sokka, the words 'Yakone' and 'here' and 'attack' were the only things that registered her mind. Even now, as she flies through traffic on her way towards the ferry terminal, all she can think about is the safety of her two daughters, her friends and their families. She glances up to see the full moon glinting overhead, and she prays to any Spirit that will listen that her biggest fear isn't about to come true.

It takes an hour, but by the time Toph arrives on Air Temple Island, the fighting is still going strong.

She rushes up the steps and ducks just in time as a massive rock is thrown over her head. She hears the grunt of a Triad member falling after his body makes impact with the stone and she quickly turns, wrapping her coiled wires around him and flinging him aside. 

"Bumi get back!" She hears Lin's voice yell from up ahead. "Take Su and Tenzin and get back into the house now--"

Toph's heart stutters as she hears her daughter's voice abruptly cut out and get replaced with the crushing sound of a water whip. Rage fills Toph as she rises and focuses her energy on reading the island. She slams her foot down, getting a sense for where the Triad members are.

In a slew of attacks, Toph takes out the few that advance towards the house. She can hear the muffled crying of Tenzin, Bumi, and Su. Other than sensing their fear, she realizes that they are physically alright. She senses Sokka fighting the Triads from the opposite end of the courtyard, with a few of the nomads at his side. Toph metal bends the coils against an approaching Triad member and flings him away.

"Lin watch out!" Toph makes out Kya's small voice as the younger water bender dashes towards her downed daughter. She hears a few sloshes of water and then a harsh thump. Toph follows their voices and feels her heart drop as she suddenly makes out Kya's mangled screaming. 

"Kya, no!" Sokka shouts from the other end of the courtyard. "Get away from her, you monster!"

Toph moves in their direction, easily sensing Kya among the rubble, her body contorted in pain. It occurs to Toph then that the contortion isn't coming from an injury, but rather from blood-bending. Quickly, Toph turns on her feet and shoots a large boulder in the direction of the only man she knows could have done such a thing. She tries to search out Lin's heartbeat, but she can barely hear it over Kya's screaming.

"Get away from her, Yakone. This fight is ours," Toph engages him, hurling more rocks in his direction. "Let the children go."

"Where would all the fun in that be, then?" Yakone chuckles, dodging the rocks as he holds his hand up and clenches his fist. A sharp, burning pain infests Toph's body, and suddenly, she's rendered motionless as she feels her feet lift off the ground. Her teeth grit as she feels her blood burble and thicken within her veins. She can barely breathe as Yakone's grip tightens and he laughs maniacally.

"So much for Republic City's beloved Chief of Police," he snarls, "you can barely handle a simple blood-bender."

"Get away from my mom!" 

Toph gasps as she feels the air flood her lungs and her feet collapse back to the earth. As the ringing in her ears fades, she makes out the sound of earth and metal clanging in the distance. She slams her foot down, her jaw dropping as she makes out Lin fighting off the Triad leader. She feels hands on her shoulders and huffs in relief as she feels Sokka pulling her to her feet, draping one arm over his shoulder.

"Lin…," she chokes out, "Sokka, you have to get her to stop. He's too powerful…"

The sound of more earth slamming interrupts them and Sokka can't help but chuckle airily beside her. "If only you could see what I do."

But Toph doesn't need to see. Instead, she slams her foot down and reads the sensation. 

Lin has Yakone at the cliffside, hurling rocks and metal and forcing the water bender down. Yakone attempts to blood-bend, but Lin drives a slab of earth under his feet, effectively causing him to tumble backwards. He snarls in frustration, bending a slice of ice in her direction. Lin side steps, missing the ice by a few millimetres before she retaliates with another strong punch of earth. Yakone ducks and punches his fists outwards, summoning a massive blast of water that Lin cannot avoid. Toph gasps as she feels Lin rocket backwards and slam into the stone pillar of the Eastern commons. Toph reaches for her metal coils, only to realize that the wire had snapped a while into her fight.

"Sokka let go of me," she breathes out as she stumbles to her feet, summoning a few boulders. "Get away from her, Yakone."

Before she can fling the rocks, Toph feels her entire body tense again. She gasps, wide-eyed and confused as she senses Sokka also being blood bent from beside her. Yakone chuckles again, his chest rumbling as he continues making his way towards her daughter.

"She's putting up a better fight than you, Chief!" Yakone goads her as he approaches Lin with a smirk. "Who would have thought that Chief Beifong's child would be the only one to hold up against an experienced water-bender such as myself?" Toph struggles against his grip.

"Stop," she chokes out as she gasps for breath, "I'll do anything… just… stop…"

Lin's head nods up slowly as she stumbles to her feet, her shoulders trembling as she puts her fists out in front of her. Yakone arches his brow and smirks, summoning another blast of water to send Lin flying into another wall. He draws the water from the fountain and transforms it into ice shards, pelleting them in Lin's direction. Toph's eyes well with tears as she hears Lin's cry of pain as she cannot avoid all of them.

"Y-Yakone," Toph pleads now, "stop!"

Just as Yakone reaches up to deliver another crushing blow to her daughter, a blast of ice smashes into his back.

"Leave her alone!" Kya's strangled voice calls out, huffing from exhaustion. Yakone growls, reaching out to blood-bend, but Kya holds her hands up and clenches them. Yakone stumbles for a moment, his body frozen as everyone takes in what is happening. When he goes down, the grip he had previously held on Toph and Sokka fades, allowing the earth bender to conjure up a few boulders with her shaking fingers.

Kya keeps her fingers poised as she continues to blood bend the water bender. "I said. Leave. Her. _Alone_."

"W-What a surprise," Yakone chuckles as he breaks free from the grasp. "The beloved Avatar's only daughter, a dirty little blood-bender, just like her mother." Toph flings the boulders, taking his moment of distraction as an advantage as she advances on the Triad leader.

"I will end you," Toph growls as she flings more rocks in his direction. "Your reign is over, Yakone!"

Just as Yakone goes to attack, another flurry of attacks come from behind the man. Toph senses Lin stumble back to her feet, an arm wrapped tightly around her ribs as she continues to unleash a torrent of rocks and rubble from the ground in Yakone's direction. Kya also overwhelms the water-bender with a plethora of ice shards. Yakone goes to retaliate when a whizzing sound cuts through the air and a loud thump sounds. Yakone groans as he falls to his knees, the unmoving boomerang right next to him as he rubs at his head.

"You're under arrest, Yakone," Sokka's voice calls out as he approaches, sword in hand. "Give up now, and we'll take you in peacefully."

Yakone chuckles, shaking his head. "Stupid little councilman, you think that a few rocks and some water can stop me?"

Without another word, he rises to his feet and Toph feels her blood curdle again. She can hear the same protests from her daughter, and judging by the Sokka's groaning and Kya's whimpering, she knows that Yakone has them all in another blood bending lock. She feels the Triad leader's breath on her cheek as he approaches her, chuckling again as he clenches his grip tighter, causing all of them to gasp.

"I will end them all," Yakone whispers as he grips them even tighter. "But I'll start with your petulant daughter first."

"No," Toph wheezes as she feels him disappear from in front of her. "No, stop… please…"

"Pathetic," Yakone snorts as she hears Lin scream in pain, "begging like a helpless old woman. There's no one left to save you, Toph."

"Let… her… go…," Toph snarls as she struggles against the restraints, unable to take the sound of her daughter's pained screams. She can hear Yakone laughing louder, and it only further drives the rage within her soul. Something takes over her and she finds the strength to break past his hold. She bends the metal of her uniform into shards before jutting her fist out, sending the shrapnel blasting in his direction.

Yakone's grip immediately loosens upon impact and Toph takes the moment to fling more rocks in his direction. She builds the rock prism around him, effectively holding him in place. Yakone breaks free of the rocks and slams some more water in her direction before taking off towards the edge of the cliff. Toph splutters, trying to get to her feet, but by the time she does, she knows that Yakone is gone. Muttering in disappointment and fury, she slams her hand into the dirt. Toph turns beside herself and reaches down to help a wheezing Sokka to his feet.

"Search the island. Make sure he isn't hiding out," she orders as she takes off towards Lin. She swallows down her worries and puts on a brave face, knowing that right now, she cannot afford to be scared. She slides to her knees in front of Lin, gathering her daughter into her arms.

"Su…," Lin wheezes between coughs, her chest rattling as she struggles to stay conscious, "is… is she…?"

"She's fine," Toph whispers as she folds Lin against her chest, her eyes welling with tears she can no longer keep at bay. "I'm here now, nobody will hurt you. I won't let them touch you, I promise." She presses her lips into Lin's dusty hair, trembling when she smells the bitter scent of blood. She can sense the deep cut which traverses the line of Lin's scalp, and judging by the way Lin's head lolls with a struggle to keep awake, the injury is severe. Toph makes sure to stabilize her neck, to keep Lin from twisting or turning in any odd position to avoid further damage.

"I… I-I can help," she hears Kya huff from in front of her. "Lin… I can help… hang on." Toph feels the young water bender collapse to her knees, clearly exhausted and still injured, but cannot say anything as she feels the girl bend some water around her daughter's chest.

"Kya," Lin murmurs quietly, "don't… you'll exhaust yourself…"

"Shut up," Kya replies tiredly as she warms the water, "you don't need to always be a hero, Beifong. Leave some for the rest of us, yeah?"

The quip is enough to pull a wheezing chuckle from the metal bender, which is quickly followed up with a sharp gasp. "Ow… my ribs."

"Idiot," Kya shakily jokes as she continues to bend the water. "At least three are broken. You're going to be sore for a few months, Lin."

Lin chuckles again, still wincing. "At least you get some healing practice. Now you can show Katara just how good you are."

"I never wanted you to be my first patient," Kya replies softly, with the slightest amount of tease. "You're too stubborn and impatient."

Toph watches their exchange with relief and a sense of happiness. She knew that Kya and Lin were best friends, and when she looked at their interaction now, she wonders if the two would ever be more. She feels sad knowing that she missed out on so much, and she isn't even sure if when Lin decided to take up a romantic partner, if she would even tell her mother. But for now, Toph revels in gratitude that her eldest child, her brave, selfless, strong daughter, is alive. Toph gently rakes her fingers through Lin's hair, lulling the metal-bender into a sleepy state.

"Hey now," Toph murmurs as she stops her ministrations, "I don't know if you have a concussion or not. You gotta stay awake, Lin."

"Mm," Lin slurs as she tucks herself further into her mother's arms, "I'm awake, Mom. I promise." Toph tugs Lin closer into her grasp and kisses her daughter's forehead, trying and failing to keep the tears from falling from her cheeks as she realizes that she could have lost her tonight.

"What happened?"

Toph's head jerks up as she hears Katara's concerned voice ring out from behind them. There are the sound of rushed footsteps, before Katara kneels beside Toph, Lin, and Kya. Toph glances over at her in exhaustion, shaking her head with disgust and anger.

" _Yakone_ happened."

"He was here?" She hears Aang say roughly, his voice tightening as he takes notice of Lin and Kya. "Where are Bumi, Tenzin, and Su?"

"We're okay, Dad." Bumi's voice pipes up from the mangled doorway. Toph can sense that he has Tenzin in his arms and Su wrapped around his leg. He leads the children outside, where Aang greets them and quickly checks them over before drawing them all into a tight hug.

"Kya, you're hurt," Katara breathes out as she reaches for her daughter. "Stop, I can heal Lin. I'll summon an acolyte to patch you up."

"I'm not that hurt, Mom. I can do it," Kya says with a huff. "I'm not totally useless, you know. I even got out of Yakone's blood-bending grip."

At this, Katara goes silent. Toph gulps awkwardly, looking away as Katara quietly asks, "how?"

Kya takes a deep breath before she nods her head up and stiffly replies, "I just blood-bent him back."

"She saved my life," Lin cuts in roughly, attempting to stumble to her feet. Toph wraps her arms around her daughter's middle and throws one of her arms over her shoulder, trying to ignore the sharp gasp of pain that leaves the teenager's lips. Lin leans most of her weight onto Toph's side, her back slouching as she clears her throat. "If it hadn't been for Kya, Yakone would have killed me and my mother. Sokka, too."

Katara is silent for a moment before she sighs, shaking her head. "We'll talk about this later. For right now, help me get Lin to a healing tub."

Toph can sense Kya's disappointment, but she knows not to involve herself in another person's family matters. She knows Katara's feeling on blood-bending, even if she herself could perform the act. Katara comes to Lin's other side and gently lifts her daughters' other arm, before helping Lin limp towards the entrance of the healing building. Kya follows behind, anxiously wringing her hands as they settle Lin in a room.

"I can take care of her," Katara says gently as she places a hand on Toph's shoulder. "You should talk to Aang about Yakone."

Toph looks to her daughter, torn between leaving her and finding the criminal that put them in this place to start with.

"I'll be fine, Mom. Yakone cannot be allowed to roam free," Lin tells her with a soft nod. "I am alright. I promise."

Toph hesitates a moment, but eventually she nods, knowing that she must put her duty first once more. As she turns, however, she pauses. The memories of the night come back and haunt her, and she feels herself shiver in remorse. She turns, kneels, and places her hand on Lin's head, before pecking her daughter's bruised forehead gently. Lin's eyes flutter shut at the sensation, and Toph sniffles.

"I'm sorry," Toph whispers to her, "I… I am so proud of you, Lin. You saved your friends and your family. I love you, my child."

Toph feels Lin's heartbeat accelerate as the younger metal bender nods and clears her throat. "Thank you, Mother. I… I love you, too."

Toph nods and leaves the room, her feet heavy and dragging behind her until she reaches the destroyed courtyard where Aang stands.

"This must end," she says to him, her voice cold and thick with anger. "I will not allow him to hurt my family again. If you do not put an end to it, Aang, I will… by whatever means necessary. He is a murder, a tyrant, and if he continues to roam free, he will destroy the city."

Aang stays quiet for a few moments, contemplating, before he straightens his back and nods.

"Then we must figure out a way to stop him for good."

* * * 

The hunt for Yakone does not end as quickly as it starts.

In the weeks following the attack, Lin still has trouble standing and sitting, and her breathing is short and wheezy even after a few paces around the living room. Toph had noticed a change in her daughter's spirit, and she cursed herself for bringing her into this mess. Lin is more reserved than usual, and often Toph finds her sitting and staring off into nothing, as if she's drifting from her own reality. Suyin had been equally as traumatized in the battle, but instead of the silent treatment Lin had been giving her, she has chosen to act out instead.

"I hate that you won't let me do anything fun!" Suyin grumbles as she flops onto the couch. "It's my birthday and I'm stuck at home."

"It's for your own safety," she hears Lin quietly tell her. "Yakone is still out there, Su."

"And why isn't he in prison already? I thought you were Republic City's best police chief, Mom. Can't you stop him?"

Lin quickly interjects, leaping to Toph's defines. "It's not that easy, Su--"

"I wasn't talking to you, Lin." Suyin's voice is cold and hard. "As much as you try to be, you're not a cop."

Lin takes a deep breath, wincing as her side pinches and her eyes close in pain. "I know," she hisses slightly, "but at least _I_ know the difference between acting naive and understanding that safety matters more than pleasure." Suyin snorts and shakes her head with a sarcastic laugh.

"What would _you_ know about pleasure? You don't have a life. You just sit at home and work on Spirits' know what. Do you even _have_ friends?"

"Su," Toph warns as she enters the living room, passing Lin a cup of herbal tea Katara had sent her to help relieve pain. "Don't push it."

"Lin's just jealous because I actually have a social life, and I'm younger than her."

"Su," Toph sighs again, rubbing her forehead as she sits down. "If it hadn't been for Lin, Yakone could have killed you."

"I can take care of myself," Suyin growls as she stands up. "I'm not this weak, pathetic girl you paint me out to be. I can earth-bend and metal-bend, too! But you never cared to notice, did you? I could have easily fought in that battle with all of you, but Lin shooed me away first!"

"And I'm glad she did!" Toph snarls back, her voice raising. "Because if she hadn't, I could have almost lost two daughters that day!"

Suyin mutters something under her breath and stalks the floor of the living room in anger. "I don't get it, why aren't you interested in what I do? All you ever talk about is your job or this stupid Yakone guy. You never once asked us how we're doing, what we're doing, or if we're happy!" Suyin throws up her arms in frustration as she glares at her mother and sister. "You both are so lonely and bitter and boring!"

When Lin winces and grabs her head, Suyin has the audacity to look somewhat guilty. Toph stands immediately, concerned.

"Lin?" She asks, worry filling her voice as she eyes her daughter. Lin just shakes her head, biting her lip to ease the pain.

"It's just too loud," Lin mumbles. "I think I'm going to sleep. I'm not feeling so good."

Katara had warned Toph that Lin's concussion was severe, and that her daughter was lucky to not have any kind of traumatic brain injury. The elder water-bender had said that it would take another month for her to recover, and that there were possibilities that Lin could undergo mood or emotional changes as well. As her daughter rises to her feet, she feels Lin sway slightly. Instantly, Toph reaches over to steady her.

"Ugh," Lin groans as she clutches her stomach, "I… I'm going to be--"

Before she can finish, Lin gags and vomits. Her knees tremble and shake like a newborn foal's. Toph tries to be supportive as she rubs her back and calms her clammy-skinned daughter. She hears the metal table crunching and she senses Suyin having restructured it into a makeshift bucket. Lin retches a few more times before she stumbles to her knees, her eyes fluttering as she clutches at her ribs.

"Su, grab your sister," Toph orders strictly, holding up Lin's weight as her daughter wheezes. "Let's bring her to the bed."

Suyin thankfully doesn't argue as she helps her mother take her sister to the bed. They lay Lin down and cover her with the light sheet. Beside the bed, Suyin takes the empty basin and places it on the ground, should Lin get sick again in the middle of the night. Lin groans, but shows no sign of heaving as she curls her knees into her chest and tucks her head into the pillow. Toph reaches for a small bowl near her bed and hands it to Suyin to fill with cool water. Her daughter returns with a fresh cloth and the water, setting it on the bedside table.

"I'm sorry," Lin mumbles as she winces again, "I… It just hurts so bad…"

"Ssh," Toph soothes as she wrings one of the towels free of water before placing the cool cloth on her daughter's forehead. "Relax, Lin."

Toph goes to say some more words of comfort when she hears the phone ring. Suyin sighs, settling beside her mother.

"Go," she says as she takes the cloth from Toph's hands. "I'll take care of Lin. You take care of business."

Toph hates the way the words sound as Suyin gently rubs Lin's back. She remorsefully lifts herself from the bed and reaches the phone in time before the line got disconnected. She holds the smooth metal in her hands and sighs as she answers, "you've reached Chief Beifong."

"Toph," Aang's voice sounds over the phone, panicked and distraught. "You need to come to the council room immediately."

"What's wrong?" Toph asks, frowning in concern. "Is it Yakone?"

There's a moment of silence before Aang sighs and whispers, "it's Suki."

"What about her?" Toph asks, even though she already knows the answer and dreads it even further. "Aang, what happened?"

There's a slight pause before Aang's breath hitches.

"She's dead, Toph. Yakone killed her."

* * * 

"I don't know what to say."

Sokka looks to his full cup of steaming tea, a sad shrug tugging at his shoulders as he shakes his head. "I don't think there is anything you could say, Katara." He places his fingers on the destroyed Kiyoshi fan on the coffee table, his eyes narrowed in pain and anger.

"They found her body twisted into a circle," Sokka growls as he clenches his fist. Toph can sense that he is picturing the body from the morgue. "Her eyes and fingernails were ripped out. Every bone in her body was crushed. He didn't just kill her, he made her suffer. He's a monster."

"Sokka," Katara's voice sounds beside Toph. "We'll find him, I promise."

"He took the love of my life," Sokka snaps as he stands up, tears in his eyes. "He blood-bent my niece and Toph. He… He deserves to die."

"Sokka," Aang warns calmly as he stands, placing his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't."

"What would you know?" Sokka growls as he shoves the air bender's hand off his shoulder. "You weren't there. Just like you weren't there when he attacked the island. You're the Avatar Aang, but you haven't done anything to stop him!"

"Sokka, that's enough!" Katara interjects, standing as she glares at her brother. "I know that Suki's loss is hard--"

" _Hard_?!" Sokka roars as he whirls on his sister. "It isn't hard, Katara. It is _devastating_. It is ripping me apart, but most importantly, it could have been prevented if Aang had stopped him all those years ago when he first came to the city!" Katara looks away, biting her lip in frustration.

"Stop it," Toph mutters as she stands, rubbing the ache from the back of her neck. "We need a plan. Arguing won't solve anything."

"The plan is that he dies," Sokka replies coldly. "I don't care how or when, but he dies, and _I'm_ going to be the one to end his life."

"Killing him will only make you stoop to his level," Aang says, rubbing his brow. "You're angry, Sokka. You've lost one of the most important people in your life, but killing a man will do nothing to ease that pain. When the fire-benders destroyed my entire civilization, do you think that I thought about ending their lives? Of course I did. But I knew that if I did, it would not take away the pain of my family--my _people's_ \--loss."

"Right now, I think that we need to take a day to mourn," Katara says softly, placing her hand on Sokka's shoulder. "You can't make decisions when you are emotional, Sokka. You need to take time to grieve, too. Right now, let's focus on honouring Suki's life." Sokka takes a breath and hangs his head before he shrugs off Katara's hand. He grabs his sword from the couch beside him and makes his way over to the door.

Katara goes to follow, but Toph holds her hand up. "Don't. I'll go."

No one objects as Toph makes her way outside to where Sokka stands, staring into the horizon with a blank look on his face.

"I loved her too," Toph admits softly, not bothering looking at the older man. "She was kind and honest, and she always treated me fairly." Sokka doesn't reply, and instead keeps his gaze fixated on the calm waves of Republic City's docks. Toph looks down, shoulders slouching.

"I still love you too," Toph breathes out she utters the confession. "I may not be Suki, but I--"

Before she can finish her sentence, she feels warm lips on hers and she can't help but choke back her tears. Sokka's hands cup her face and Toph winds her arms around the taller man's shoulders as they continue to kiss. At some point, Toph feels both of their tears meshing upon the skin of their cheeks. Toph's lips tremble as she releases her grip in order to angle herself for a deeper kiss. Sokka's hands move down to her waist as he breathes into her, trying to seek the comfort that Toph so desperately wishes to give. 

"I love you," Toph whispers again, her voice shaky as she presses her forehead to Sokka's own. "I'm sorry I never was good at being in love with either of you, but I love you both, so much. I… I can't imagine my life without you, Sokka. Please… you can't leave me. I won't be able to handle it if you go, too." Sokka shakes his head and pulls her into a tight hug, holding her close as they both sway in the cool spring breeze.

"We'll find him," Toph growls into his chest, wiping her tears on his shirt. "We'll make him pay for what he's done, Sokka."

* * * 

"Mom?"

Toph looks over the latest reports of Triad activities as she hears Suyin come in. She nods and grunts, glancing up at her daughter.

"What's the matter, Su? Is everything alright? How's your sister?"

"Yeah I'm fine," Suyin says as she takes a seat at Toph's desk. "Lin's okay. She's still getting dizzy but I think she's feeling better. She's resting right now. She doesn't talk much, not that she ever did to begin with, but it's pretty much abysmal now." Toph frowns and worries her lip.

"Does she need me to call Katara?" Toph asks, reaching for her phone. "It's been a month since the attack, surely she should be better."

"She cut her head open, Mom." Su replies in exasperation. "You can't just recover from that in a month. It will take time." Toph hesitates a moment before she puts the phone back down on the receiver before giving her full attention to her youngest daughter.

"So then what do you need, Su?"

"Why do you always assume I need something?" Suyin says, biting back frustration. "Can't I just talk to my mother?"

"I'm busy, Su--" 

"You're always busy," Suyin says as she crosses her arms. "You're not only a police chief, you know. You're a mother, too."

Toph's shoulders slouch at the familiar accusation, and she reminds herself that she cannot make the same mistakes she made with Lin. She files away her frustration and accepts the truth. She closes her police report and stands, beckoning for Suyin to stand as well.

"What are you doing?" Suyin asks as she follows her mother to her car. "Where are we going?"

"For a little trip," Toph grunts with a chuckle, "call it mother-daughter bonding or whatever."

"Did you ever bring Lin on one of these trips?" Suyin asks, a hint of jealously seeping in her tone. Toph sighs as she turns the car on.

"No," Toph mumbles as she pulls into the lane, "I never did much with your sister."

Suyin is quiet for a moment as they drive towards the mountain range, before she quietly asks, "why not, Mom? I mean Lin is essentially everything you could ever want in a child. She's obedient, she wants to be a cop, and she's never lost her temper or acted out. She's more of your daughter than I am." The last part is tapered off, but Toph winces when she hears the sadness in her daughter's voice.

"I love your sister and I love you, Su. I'm just… not the best at showing it," Toph explains as they drive onto a gravel path towards the mountainside. "When your sister was born, I wasn't ready to be a mother. She was… um, an accident. But then she came into my life and I knew that sometimes accidents are the best things to ever happen. Which is the same for you. You were both accidents, but happy accidents."

"Good to know," Suyin mutters, crossing her arms. "So you never wanted kids then?"

"I wanted them," Toph says, slowing the car down as the pull into a scenic overlook. "I just never had time to get ready for them."

"But surely you must've been ready for me," Suyin counters as she glances to her mother. "I mean you had like five years with Lin to prepare."

"I wouldn't call raising Lin a preparation for raising you," Toph says as she powers off the engine and blankly stares outside. "Lin has many characteristics of her father as well as myself. She's quiet, collected, steady. When I first found out she could earth-bend, and later metal-bend, I wanted to do my best to cultivate the environment to best support her abilities. I wanted her to be successful like me. I wanted her to experience the freedom that my parents never gave me, and most importantly, I wanted her to be strong and independent.

"But I made a mistake," Toph admits as she looks down to her lap. "I spent so much time focused on making her strong that I never acknowledged her feelings. She never made friends with kids in her classes, nor did she get along with any of the other kids, aside from Izumi and Kya. Your sister is… different, Su. Just like you are different. You're outgoing, sociable, loud, boisterous, free-spirited. Lin is more… reserved." Suyin chuckles at that, shaking her head as she uncrosses her arms and let her shoulders relax.

"You mean she's got a stick up her ass."

"Su," Toph sighs, rubbing her forehead. "Why do you talk about her like that? What has Lin done to you to make you so upset with her?"

"Nothing," Suyin says with a shrug, "it's just… it's either you pay attention to me or her, and forgive me if I want my mother's love, too."

Toph's breath hitches as she listens to Suyin wince. She looks over to her daughter and takes a deep breath. "Is that so?"

"No offence, Mom, but just because Lin won't tell you that you've never been there for us, doesn't mean I won't," Suyin tells her honestly. "You've never really spent any time with us, aside from lecturing us on what or what not to do. Actually, since Lin's been home, that's the most amount of time you've spent with us in any given moment. Even then, it's only to make sure that Lin is alright."

"Oh," Toph says, as if this is not a realization she had already deduced herself. "I… I'm sorry, Su. I know I'm not the best mom--"

"That doesn't excuse it," Suyin says, "you can't just cop out by saying you're not the best mom. We're not asking for you to be the best mom. We are asking you to just be our mother. We don't need fancy things or anything flashy like Katara's kids. We just want you in our lives."

Suyin pauses for a moment before she takes a deep breath and says, "and if you don't want to be in our lives, that's okay too, I guess."

"Suyin Beifong," Toph stutters on her daughter's name as tears well in her eyes. She reaches over and pulls her daughter into her arms and holds her close. "Don't you ever for a second think that I do not want to be in your life. You both are the only thing I care about in this world. You are my children, and nothing will ever make me feel that I no longer want you. I love you both so dearly, but love doesn't come easy to me." Suyin shudders in her mother's grasp, gripping onto Toph's arms as she snuggles closer into her mother's embrace.

"Why doesn't it come easy?" Suyin asks, nodding her head up to look at her mother. "Didn't you ever want to be in love? To be a family?"

"I did," Toph sighs, releasing Suyin from her hold as she feels the warm sun rays upon her face. "I still do… but I don't think that is my fate."

Suyin is quiet, contemplating Toph's answer as they both sit there in silence for a few moments. After some time, Suyin finally speaks.

"Mom," Suyin asks, her voice quivering as she looks to her mother. "Who _is_ my father?"

Toph just shakes her head, looking away. "I'm sorry, I… I can't tell you."

"Why not?" Suyin bristles, tears welling in her eyes. "What if he wants to be a part of my life? You would stop him?"

"He _is_ a part of your life," Toph answers back, still not facing her daughter. "You know him, Su. And I think you don't need me to answer the question of who he is. You knew before you brought this question up. You don't need my confirmation." Suyin sniffles, wiping her tears.

"Does he know that I'm his daughter?" Suyin asks, voice cold and empty. Toph takes a breath.

"Yes," she replies as she swallows down her emotion. "He does."

"And still he decides not to be a part of my life," Suyin growls in frustration. "How could he?!"

"It's the same reason Lin's father isn't in her life--hell, he doesn't even know Lin's his child." Toph grunts. "It just isn't how fate wrote it out."

Suyin scoffs, wiping away at more tears. "Fuck fate. He abandoned me too."

"Your father loves you more than the entire world," Toph says with a small smile. "Do not mistake his absence for lack of love."

"How could I not," Suyin bitterly replies, "when you are doing the exactly the same, right?"

* * *

"You're here late."

"I need to talk to you," Toph says as she muscles her way through the door and into the living room. "Suyin has been asking questions."

"About what?"

"About how babies are made," Toph replies sarcastically, arching her brow. "What do you think she's been asking questions about, dimwit?"

"I don't know what to say, Toph."

"I don't care what you say, Sokka. Your daughter wants to know why you haven't bothered to show up in her life," Toph replies, plopping down on the cushion of the couch with a huff. "I told her that it just wasn't how our fate was intended to be, but she seemed unsatisfied with that."

"I love her, Toph. But with my position as the councilor and yours as the Chief of Police, if the people found out that we had a child--"

"Why does that matter?" Toph asks as Sokka sits beside her. "I love you. And yet, all these years I've spent the night, between you and Suki, you've never once offered me to stay." Toph's voice is bitter as she looks at the older man with confusion. "Why, Sokka? Was I not good enough for you? You've never cared what people thought, so don't give me the bullshit excuse about what the media would say. I want your answer."

"Toph…," Sokka trails off as he sits down. "I don't think this is the best time to talk about this. Suki's death is still raw and--"

"I just want an answer," Toph asks as she turns to face him, "I just want to know why you never wanted me to stay?"

"Because," Sokka shakes his head, "I didn't love you like that, Toph."

Toph's heart shatters inside of her chest as she looks away, feeling her lungs pinch with each inhaled breath. Sokka sighs, hanging his head as he rubs at his eyes. They both sit in silence, letting Sokka's words penetrate their skin and fester within themselves.

"You…," Toph stumbles on her words as she holds back a cry, "you kissed me when I told you that I loved you."

"I was grieving," Sokka whispers guiltily. "You were there and I… I'm sorry, Toph. You're my best friend, but I… I can't."

Toph nods, shoving down her sadness as she stands and rubs at the back of her neck. "Then I guess I should go."

"You don't have to," Sokka replies, but there's no conviction in his voice. Toph just smiles sadly.

"I meant what I said," Toph tells him as he stands beside her, hand on her shoulder. "I do love you, even if you don't. And I loved her, too."

"I know," Sokka replies, drawing her into his chest. "We both love you, Toph. But…"

"Just not like that," Toph chuckles sadly, withdrawing from his embrace so she can wipe her eyes. "Don't worry, I get it."

"I'll talk to Su," Sokka says as Toph makes her way towards the door. "I promise."

Toph just nods, having learned years ago to no longer believe in the false pretence of promises. 

* * * 

Days later, Zuko comes to visit, having heard of the attack on Air Temple Island and Suki's death.

Izumi is sandwiched between him and Mai, her lips curling into a smile as she makes out Lin and Kya standing at the front of Air Temple Island. Toph feels the three girls embrace and hug, and her heart relaxes as she feels Lin laugh at something Izumi must have said.

"It's been a long time since I've last seen you," Zuko says as he watches their children interact. "When we last came, Lin was a child."

"She's never been a child," Toph mutters as she reaches into her uniform for her flask. She takes a swig before tucking it away. "I made sure of that, remember?" She can feel Zuko's concern, but she waves him off before he has the chance to speak.

"How's Mai doing? Still as brooding as ever?" Toph asks, looking over at where the older woman is chatting with Katara and Aang. Zuko sighs and chuckles, shaking his head. "No. I think motherhood changed her… it changed me, too. Izumi is much like her grandmother, thankfully." Toph only snorts and nods, shoving her hands into her uniform pockets as she avoids continuing the conversation.

"How are you, Toph?" Zuko asks, his tone concerned. "You look like you haven't been sleeping well."

"I'm fine," Toph bitterly replies. "I don't know why everyone is so concerned for me. I'm peachy."

"You're drinking and it's barely noon."

"Zuko," Toph says as she looks up at him. "I'm not gonna talk about it, if that is what you are thinking will happen."

Zuko sighs, hanging his head as he turns back to look at his children. Izumi and Lin are engaged in a deep conversation about something, but he can't make out what they're saying. He notices Kya's arms entwined with Lin's own, her fingers brushing the back of Lin's palm gently.

"Your daughter and Kya are close," Zuko observes with an arched brow, "have they finally realized their feelings for each other yet?"

Toph snorts with a drunken slur, chuckling as she shakes her head. "She's _our_ daughter, do you really think she'll figure it out?"

At that, Zuko's eyes widen and his face pales. He turns to look at Toph in shock.

"What did you say?" Zuko asks, his voice trembling. "Lin… she's…"

"Oh yeah," Toph chuckles, reaching into her breast pocket for her flask. "I forgot to mention it to you like seventeen years ago. One of those many times we fucked, I got pregnant. By the time I found out that I was pregnant, you were engaged to Mai. I didn't want to ruin your life."

"You're drunk," Zuko scolds as he takes the flask from her hands. "You're speaking nonsense."

"Nonsense?" Toph laughs, wiping her eyes as she snatches it back. "Look at Lin and then tell me if I am speaking nonsense."

Zuko let's go of Toph's hand to glance back over to where Lin is standing, back straight and eyes focused. In the faintest light, he can make out the small golden flecks in her grey-green eyes. But it's not just that, it is also the posture, the way her jaw is set, the way she holds her conversation like she is carrying out an order. He reflects back to all his memories of her, from her childhood until now. Her personality, quiet and intelligent, yet strong and steadfast. While she is the spitting image of Toph, he finally made sense of some of her unexplainable features.

"Why…," he chokes out, looking over to Toph. "Why did you never tell me?"

"You never asked," Toph says with a shrug. "I thought you would figure it out eventually, but you're still as dense as you've always been."

"I missed out on my daughter's life," Zuko whispers with a defeated sigh. "I… I wish I had been there. I could've…"

"Could have what?" Toph asks bitterly. "You could have taken care of her? You are the leader of the Fire Nation. If you dropped everything to come raise a child out of wedlock how do you think your people would have taken it? They were just getting used to your leadership. If you left, we would have found ourselves in yet another war. I did what I had to do to keep our people safe, and I won't apologize for that."

Zuko doesn't reply, and instead turns his head away. He waits a moment, before he asks, "does she know I'm her father?"

"No," Toph says as she takes another swig of her drink. "She hasn't asked either. She's… she's not like Su."

"Su… she's, uh… well…," Zuko trails off, blushing. Toph rolls her eyes, chuckling.

"First of all, the last time we had sex was before you got engaged, so there is no way that she's yours," Toph says. "Besides, she's nothing like you. She's Sokka's kid. But he didn't want to be as involved as he thought he wanted to be, so even though Su knows she's his daughter, he hasn't talked to her about it yet." Zuko nods slowly, digesting the information as he rakes his eyes over to where Suyin is playing with Bumi.

"Does anyone know?" He asks quietly as he looks back to Lin. "That I'm Lin's father?"

"I'm pretty sure Katara knows," Toph shrugs, fiddling with the flask. "What with her being there for the birth and what not. But… that's it."

Zuko nods again, having trouble finding his words as he looks back to his friend. "If… if you need anything--"

"I'm not a charity case," Toph interrupts with a flick of her wrist. "So you can save it. Whatever the kids want, they have."

Zuko eyes the flask in Toph's hands and gulps nervously. "Then maybe… we should talk about the elephant-koi in the room."

"Which is…?" Toph asks, arching her brow as she takes another drink. Zuko sighs.

"I think you need help," Zuko says quietly, "I know a great rehabilitation place. He helped Mai when she had her… problems."

"Your wife was a drunk too?" Toph hiccups, chuckling lightly. Zuko frowns, gritting his teeth. "Well, if that isn't hilarious."

"Toph," Zuko says with a stern voice, "you cannot keep this up. Drinking away your problems will not solve them."

"No," Toph replies bitterly as she puts the flask away, glancing up at Zuko. "But it sure as hell helps numb them."

* * * 

"Mom, I swear to the Spirits, Lin is such a _bitch_!"

Toph's head snaps up as she hears Suyin slam the door with a frustrated huff. The headache she's been nursing only pounds further as she hears her daughter rampage through her room. She grabs at the empty glass on her desk and fills it, knowing she'll need something extra if she is going to get through whatever mishap seems to be troubling her daughters this time. She downs it in one gulp and clears her throat.

"Su," Toph grumbles tiredly as she reaches for the bottle again. "How many times have I told you not to call your sister that?"

"Why not?" Suyin snarls as she kicks at the coffee table in her rage. "She's a total bitch! All she does is try and control my life. She thinks that I can't protect myself? What, because I'm not as great at metal-bending as she is? That I never did pro-bending? Or maybe it's because I'm not such a stuck-up, stick-in-the-mud, hardass like her! And you! You just encourage her because you think I need to be watched constantly. I hate it, Mom." Toph frowns as she hears the door open and close again, softer than before. Sometimes, she can barely sense Lin anymore.

"Chief," Lin says formally, "I formally disagree with Su."

It hurts, to say the least, that Toph can't remember the last time Lin called her "Mom". Lin's voice is cold, emotionless, but she still detects that familiar level of protectiveness that she associates with her daughter. Lin patiently clears her throat and stands up straighter.

"Oh are you going to lodge a complaint against me?" Suyin snaps back, stepping into Lin's face with fire in her eyes. "Arrest me then, Chief-in-training. It'll sure put a smile on your face, if you can even smile, that is. What is wrong with you? You're a robot. Do you even feel anything--"

"Enough!" Toph roars, her hands clenching at the wood in her desk. "Suyin, go to your room. _Now_."

"But--"

"Now, Su. Don't make me repeat myself."

Suyin curses under her breath and shoves her shoulder roughly into Lin's as she brushes past her sister. Toph winces as she hears her daughter's bedroom door slam shut once more, before she sighs. She takes another drink and lets the warm alcohol soothe her throat. She can still feel Lin standing there, hands behind her straightened back, eyes forward, awaiting her next instruction. Toph can't help but feel guilty, because Lin never once stands up to her younger sibling. She doesn't fight back, nor does she yell or scream, or slam doors--or do anything characteristic of teenager really. Lin never even snuck out at night to hang out or go on dates. Toph isn't even sure that Lin holds a romantic interest for anyone. She may be one of the best truth seers Republic City has to offer, but Lin is a challenge to read, even for her.

But this challenge becomes somewhat of an annoyance when she's drunk.

Toph rubs a hand over her face tiredly, pushing down the burbling rage within her. "Lin--"

"I am fine, Chief. I did not mean to disrespect you--"

"Lin, stop." Toph cuts in. "I'm not Chief Beifong right now. I'm your mother. Now please, can you tell me what happened?"

Lin mouth snaps shut and she swallows thickly, her back bending under pressure as she bites her lip. "I apologize, Chief--"

"For Spirits' sake, enough with the "Chief" thing, Lin!" Toph snarls, kicking at the table. "I'm your mother. Now what the _fuck_ happened?!"

Lin stays quiet, her hands pinned to her sides as she glances in the direction of Suyin's door. "I…"

"Speak up, kid. I'm blind but you're sure as hell making me feel like I'm deaf, too." Toph snaps with a shake of her head. She reaches for her glass once more and brings it to her lips. "Now, are you going to tell me what happened or am I going to have to pull it out of your ass myself?"

Lin flinches slightly at the harsh words, but Toph's limit has been hit. Lin opens her mouth again, but the words won't come out. Toph growls, losing her patience as she steps into Lin's space, bunching her fist into her daughter's uniform before turning her so she's pinned against the wall. The alcohol is flowing through now, burning a path through her veins to pump more rage and anger into her chest.

"Speak, Lin!" Toph shouts. "Or are you incapable of doing even that, too?"

Lin's body trembles as Toph throws her to the ground with a disgusted shake of her head. "You're pathetic. Weak. Now get out of my sight."

Lin stumbles to her feet before nodding her head, keeping her eyes on the ground as she mumbles, "yes, Chief."

"Spirits," she hears Suyin chuckle sarcastically from the other room. "You're like a fucking dog following orders--"

"Su, that's enough. Treat your sister with respect," Toph growls in the younger girl's direction. "I have no idea what this idiot was doing--"

"She was following me! She embarrassed me in front of my friends for the fifth fucking time this week."

"She probably had a good reason--"

"Great, take the bitch's side--"

"I told you to never call her that!" Toph yells, the table flying from her grasp and reeling towards Suyin. Before it can make contact, however, the table stops and hovers midair. Toph takes a deep breath, the realization of what she had almost done settling in within her bones and making her shiver. She turns around to feel Lin's hand hovering out in front of her, effectively having intercepted the attack with ease.

Lin moves the table back to its original spot, before clearing her throat. 

"I _was_  following you," Lin says, though her voice lacks any sense of remorse. Her eyes are still blank and cold, emotionless even. She takes a breath before turning to Toph so she can explain further. "You were wandering into Triad territory. I had to make sure that you were safe. There have been multiple accounts of attacks by Yakone's goons on the residents living in that area. I will not apologize for protecting you, Su." Neither Suyin nor Toph speak as Lin takes a deep breath before adjusting her uniform. She bows in Toph's direction with a faint nod. 

"Now if you'll excuse me," Lin says blankly, "I will return to my post, Chief."

Toph stays quiet as she feels Lin nod to both of them before the door opens and closes. Silence ensues once more as Toph draws a deep breath, stumbling to her knees as she registers the events of the last few minutes. Suyin remains still in her doorway, unsure of what to say.

"Please," Toph whispers after a few moments, her voice pleading and soft. "You must treat your sister with respect, Su."

"How can I treat her with respect when you don't do the same?" Suyin grunts, though Toph can make out the guilt in her voice.

Toph sighs, making her way to her feet and towards the bottle again. "I can't always control what I say. Lin knows it's not the truth, anyways."

Suyin watches as Toph takes a swig before collapsing on the couch, her eyes glassily staring up at the ceiling. "Does she though?"

Toph doesn't answer, and Suyin looks away in guilt and shame.

"Why is she like that, Mom? Why doesn't she fight back? Why…?" Suyin can't find the words as she feels her voice crack.

"Because," Toph says with a drunken chuckle, "I taught her to be like that. It was a mistake I hope to the Spirits I didn't make with you."

"Mom no…," Suyin interrupts as she drops to her knees beside her mother. "I know sometimes I give you a hard time, but that's just because I need to find myself, and I'm not like you or Lin. I am not a law enforcement officer or a leader. I… I don't know what I am. But Lin… she's…"

When Suyin can't finish, Toph simply raises her hand and cups her daughter's cheek, her thumb running over the cheekbone absently.

"Promise me, no matter what happens, you will always be there for your sister," Toph pleads, her voice croaking as she turns to face her youngest daughter with glossy eyes. "I know that you two don't always get along, and I know that I'm not the best mother, but I need to know that you will take care of her. Lin may be tough on the outside, but your sister… she's special too, Su. I know I have made many mistakes, but I cannot let the two of you rupture your relationship because of my poor parenting. Your sister loves you, Su. Please, don't give up on her just because she doesn't know how to communicate it. I know that without a doubt, Lin would give up the world for you." Toph is crying now, uncharacteristically sobbing into her daughter's arms as she feels Suyin fold her into her grasp. "Please Su, don't leave her alone. Please."

"I promise," Suyin says with a gentle nod, "I know Lin and I don't get along, but I swear, I won't let her live alone."

But, Toph thinks sadly, if only life were that simple.

* * *

"That's forty-six people that have been found murdered by blood-bending in the last month."

"Look kid, this report looks great, but it doesn't help me if it doesn't tell me where that bastard is now, Lin." Toph grumbles as she shoves away the police report and reaches under her desk for her bottle of whiskey. She kicks her feet up on the desk and reaches for a spare glass.

"Drink?" Toph offers the bottle. Lin winces at the offer and politely raises her hands to decline.

"I'm barely eighteen, Chief. That would be illegal, not to mention irresponsible."

"Oh don't come in here and lecture _me_ on responsibility," Toph scoffs as she downs a swig. "Not with your sister running amok. I thought I told you to keep an eye on her, to make sure that she wasn't getting herself into trouble. I swear, sometimes I wonder where I went wrong."

"She doesn't listen to me and you know that," Lin says, her tone calm and collected. "I have tried to keep her in line, but she thinks that I am overprotective and overbearing. I cannot force her to do something she is not willing to do." Toph snorts, chuckling as she drinks some more.

"Grow a pair, kid. You want to be a good cop? Sometimes you have to learn to use a little force."

"But Chief, that wouldn't be right," Lin stumbles over the words, frowning. "We're the police, we are supposed to _stop_ crime, not start it."

"You want to stop crime?" Toph asks, rising from her seat as she shoves her finger into Lin's armoured chest plate, "then find me that bastard Yakone. Do something with your life and figure it out instead of pestering me and wasting my damn time!" Lin flinches, reeling backwards as Toph shakes her head. "Now, unless you have something productive to say, get the hell out of my office and back to your post, officer."

Lin takes a moment to straighten her uniform before she swallows hard and nods. "Yes, Chief."

Toph doesn't bother to say goodbye as she watches her daughter leave, the door closing gently behind her. She just sits back at her desk with the bottle in her hand. She sits for a moment before she sighs, reaching over for the report Lin had left on her desk. She fingers over the raised points, reading through the writing and digesting Lin's information. She feels a small spark of pride at the quality of her daughter's work, knowing all too well that even some of her best detectives wouldn't be able to put in the same effort as her own daughter.

She reads over a few points of interest Lin had mapped out and contemplates her options.

"Chief Beifong," a voice calls out for her. She recognizes it to be her assistant, Luan, and nods. "There is someone here to see you."

"And this someone is…?"

"Her _other_ daughter," Suyin's voice comes through, clipped and annoyed. "Unless she's forgotten that I exist, that is."

"Close the door behind you Luan," Toph sighs tiredly, waiting for Suyin to enter. "Well don't just stand there. Come in, Su."

"I don't need to sit down for this, Mom. I just want to ask why you're treating me like I'm five, and not like I'm thirteen?!" Suyin demands as she crosses her arms. "I don't need Lin to babysit me all the time. She's a pain in my ass, and while you may not enjoy having a social life, I do."

"So what do you want me to do?" Toph scoffs as she takes another drink. "Act like your age and then maybe I'll call off your sister."

"I am acting like my age!" Suyin argues back. "It's not my fault that you guys never did what I do! It's been almost two years since Yakone attacked the island. I bet he doesn't even live here anymore. Will you please just ease up?" Toph growls, shaking her head.

"Until that bastard is buried six feet under this ground, he will always be a threat." Toph stands from her seat, swaying slightly as she makes her way over to her youngest daughter. "I know your strength, and you can hold your own, but your sister--"

"Is the superior bender," Suyin finishes with a sarcastic chortle. "I have heard this before so many times."

"Your sister protected you when he last attacked, if it weren't for her--"

"I would be dead," Suyin finishes again with an eye roll. "I was like eleven-years-old, Mom. And I appreciate Lin's protection. But I don't need it anymore. You have to let me live my life. It's like I have no freedom anymore." Toph's eyes flash as she looks up, her lips forming a thin line.

"You want freedom so badly? Fine," Toph snaps as she slams her glass down on the desk. "Go wherever you want. Do whatever you want. But if something goes wrong, so help the Spirits, you _will_ be on your own." Suyin's eyes well with tears as she steps back, shaking her head.

"You're the worst mother," Suyin whispers, her teeth clenched. "You're a drunk and all you care about is yourself." 

"Go find another mother then," Toph replies icily, her own words stabbing at her heart as she feels her drunken self take over. "Now get out."

Suyin bursts into a sob as she leaves the room, slamming the door behind her. Toph sighs, sitting back down at her desk. She holds her head in her hands and rubs at her forehead, trying to alleviate the constant ache that festers between her brows. She focuses on her seismic senses, and frowns when she hears Lin and Suyin's voices from outside her door. The sound is muffled, so Toph stands and places herself by the wall before putting her hand against the smooth rock. She makes out Suyin's angry cries and the melodic hum of Lin's deep voice.

"Why are you still here?" Suyin snarls at Lin, her hands furiously wiping at the tears on her cheeks. "Don't you ever sleep?"

"Su," Lin murmurs as she reaches out. "Whatever she said, it wasn't her talking--"

"Oh, so am I just supposed to believe that she was possessed by a spirit? And all those other times, was that also not her?" Suyin demands, her voice filled with ire. She shoves her sister, causing Lin to stumble backwards slightly. "Why do even defend her, huh? She never acknowledges your work. She thinks we're both giant disappointments. Why do you even still stay here? We could run away, live a better life. Why don't we?"

"I have a duty to my people," Lin tells her, her voice stern. "I cannot leave them unprotected."

Suyin scoffs, wiping away another stray tear. "You sound just like her. I can't believe you would take her side, after everything."

"I am not taking sides, Su. I know that sometimes she says things that can hurt, but she doesn't mean it. She loves you," Lin stumbles slightly on the words as she looks down. "I know that she loves you. And Sokka loves you too. I… I love you, and I care about you, too." Suyin stays quiet for a few moments while Lin gathers herself and looks up, the mask falling over her face as she straightens her back.

"Go home, Su. I'll be there in a few hours. I will bring something from the Water-Tribe place for dinner," Lin says softly. "I won't be long, I swear." Suyin just shakes her head and sighs dejectedly. As she is about to turn away, Lin reaches out for her arm, reeling her into a hug. Suyin's breath hitches as she feels Lin's strong arms wrap around her shoulders and awkwardly rub at her back.

"I'm sorry," Lin breathes out, "that you feel like I'm overbearing. I never meant to make you feel that way, I just… you're all I have."

For a minute, Toph thinks that Suyin will retaliate, but instead her youngest daughter leans into the embrace and closes her eyes. Toph's eyes water as she feels their energies through the wall, and she finds it bittersweet that it took her neglect for them to trust each other.

"I love you too," Suyin mumbles into Lin's shirt as she holds her sister tighter, "and I'm sorry, too. For yelling at you all the time."

"It's alright," Lin says, shrugging. "I guess I'm used it to it. I'm fine, Su. I promise."

For all of her life, Toph has never heard her eldest daughter sound defeated or depressed, but her heart aches aches as she hears Lin remove herself from Suyin's embrace and straighten her uniform. She can't bear to hear whatever else remains of their conversation, so Toph pulls herself away from the door and moves back to her desk. She grabs at the bottle and downs half of it in one go. She fingers over the report again, trying not to let the guilt of mistreating her daughters sink in deeper than it already has. She knows that drinking is a problem, but if she doesn't drink, she loses focus, and Toph knows that if she loses focus, then Yakone will strike. 

And she knows it's fucked up, but it's the only thing that works.

* * * 

"You're sure about this, Chief?"

Lin's eyes trace over the map she created as Toph hands her a radio. "If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't be a Chief. Now follow my orders."

"But this is Triad territory. Don't you think there should be more than one of us going to assess--"

"What?" Toph scoffs as she grabs her flask and takes a sip. "Are you too chicken to take on a couple Triad members yourself?"

"No," Lin says unsurely, "I just think that… if there's a chance Yakone will be there, we should have reinforcements."

"If you're so concerned about reinforcements then I'll be on call, alright?" Toph says with a snort, downing another sip. "Now suit up and get the hell out of my face. I need to concentrate and your aura is too distracting." Lin still stands, hesitant to leave as she eyes her mother.

"Maybe you should sober up," Lin suggests, "just in case."

"Get out," Toph growls, gripping the flask tighter. "I won't ask you again, Officer."

Lin sighs, looks to the radio, and then nods. "Very well, Chief."

Toph rolls her eyes as Lin walks out and heads towards the armoury. She's about to head back to her desk when a voice interrupts her.

"You don't think that you're putting her at risk by sending her out by herself?" Toph whips her head up to feel Kya walk through the doors, arms crossed and a look of concern lining her brows. "I mean, you're sending her into enemy territory by herself with no back up."

"Would you like to join her?" Toph asks with a snort. "I don't need your advice, kid. Anyways, what are you even doing here?"

"I came to drop off something to eat for Lin," Kya replies with a low growl. "Someone didn't schedule her a lunch break… again."

"If she has a problem with her schedule, she can take it up with me. She doesn't need to send her little girlfriend in for backup," Toph snorts as she downs another swig, chuckling sarcastically. "Then again, I wouldn't put it past Lin to get others to fight her own battles. Pathetic."

"Do you ever hear yourself talking?" Kya snarls as she steps forward and places her hands on her hips. "She won't take it up with you because she respects you too much to lodge a complaint against anything. You work her into the ground, Toph, so much so that she barely sleeps, eats, or even drinks water. You may not care about your daughter, but I do, and what you're doing is bordering on abuse--"

"Watch your mouth," Toph interrupts as she takes another drink. "I don't care if your mother and I are friends, I won't tolerate slander--"

"You're a bitter old woman who wouldn't know two things about being a mother," Kya steps in. "Have you bothered to talk to either of your daughters in the last few days? Su's spent more time at our house than she has at your own. Lin sleeps on the chair in _your_ room because she's more worried if her mother will choke on her vomit in the middle of the night than she is about her own health. You know nothing, Toph."

Toph remains quiet, seething as Kya steps even closer, a snarl playing at the younger woman's lips.

"You neglect her," Kya says, her voice made of iron and steel. "And if something happens out there today, I will _never_ forgive you."

* * * 

Toph sits in her car, nursing another drink as she listens to the mindless police chatter over the radio. She's stationed herself a few blocks away from where Lin was meant to scout out. She thinks back to Kya's words from earlier and finds herself mulling over the young woman's words. She knows when she's sober, there is absolutely some degree of truth to the water bender's accusations, but her drunk self thinks otherwise. Deep down, Toph hates who she becomes when she drinks, but it's become such an addiction, that she can't even remember her sober self.

"We all make sacrifices," Toph mutters with a slight slur to her voice as she takes a swig, "this one is just mine."

She sits in silence for a few more moments, falling in and out of sleep as the alcohol starts to kick in.

But then, she's startled into an alert state when the radio cackles to life.

"We've got a ten-ten in progress on the corner of Luwei and Kang, officers report in?"

"Copy that," Toph radios in as she revs up the car. "Chief Beifong here, will be on scene within the next ten minutes."

"This is Officer Beifong," another voice cackles into the radio sounding out of breath, "I've got the perp in sight, tailing now. Looks to be one of Yakone's former henchmen. The suspect is violent and dangerous. What are my orders, Chief?" Toph turns the corner and scowls.

"Detain him, Officer. Do not engage the perp in a fight."

"Copy that, I'll--Agh!"

"Officer Beifong!" Toph calls out into the radio with a stern voice, "report in, Officer Beifong."

When the line doesn't reply, Toph repeats again, slightly concerned. "Officer Beifong, what's your status, over?"

There's some static before the line cuts out. Toph ignores the unsettled pit in her gut as she tries to drive through the traffic. She's struggling, what with her inebriated state, and her fatigue, to keep the car on the road without crashing. She misses multiple turns and it takes her fifteen minutes longer to read the destination than she originally made in the callout. She pulls the car over to a halt and immediately slams her foot in the ground to get a sense for her surroundings. Once she makes sense of what's in front of her, Toph gasps.

"Lin," she gasps as she rushes to the body in front of her. She reaches out, her lungs constricting as she feels something warm and sticky coat her fingers against the metal. "Lin, answer me. Lin!" She can feel Lin's weak heartbeat under the armour as she struggles to find away to stop the bleeding. She can't think straight and her vision is fuzzy as she stumbles around, but before she can do anything, Lin wheezes.

"Chief," Lin groans, "it's… it's a trap… he…"

"Spoilsport," a familiar voice chuckles behind her. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Yakone," Toph growls, turning around to face the direction of the Triad leader. "What did you do to her?!"

"Nothing permanent," Yakone says with a shrug. "But how fascinating is the human body, Toph? Our blood… it's so… _delicate_."

Toph furrows her brows, confused. "It… it's not a full moon… how can you--"

A sharp pain lashes through her spine as she is hoisted in the air. Yakone chuckles, his grip tightening. 

"It looks as though I've learned something new, doesn't it? I'm one of a rare kind of blood benders which can perform the act without the aid of a full moon," Yakone tells her, stepping closer and closer. "And if you could see, my precious Chief, I'm not even using my hands."

"Let… her… go…," Lin growls from behind her mother. Yakone lifts his brow.

"Oh no, I don't think so. I think that I have some very… particular plans for you and your mother, _Officer_ Beifong," Yakone laughs sadistically, shaking his head. "How cute is that, following in Mommy's footsteps. I'm sure you make a better cop than this bar-dump right here."

A flash of metal juts out and slices Yakone in arm, causing him to drop his grip on Toph. As she falls, she juts her fists outwards, bringing a wall of rock up and sending it smashing into Yakone's chest. As Yakone gathers himself, Toph turns to Lin, who is barely standing. 

"Where are you hurt?" Toph asks, shouldering her daughter's weight. "Lin--"

Before she can answer, however, Toph is roughly shoved to the side and pushed to the ground. She groans in agony as her face plants into the dirt, but nothing compares to the bloodcurdling scream that emits from Lin. She slams her hand in the dirt, only to watch in agony as a spike of ice suspends Lin in the air. Toph has to hold back her own gag as she makes out the long tip of the shard exiting from the middle of Lin's back. Blood drips down the metal-benders uniform at an alarming rate and Toph can hear the sickening gurgling of Lin's chest as she struggles to breathe. Lin claws at the ice uselessly, her hands slipping as she isn't able to find a solid grip. Fear radiates off her daughter in torrents, overwhelming her already disorientated senses. Toph scrambles to her feet, lightheaded and dizzy as she struggles to find her balance.

"It's pathetic, Chief. I was expecting a fight," Yakone taunts her as he continues to slide the ice deeper into Lin's body. "I never would have thought you would have come in this state, too drunk to even lift a finger against me. It's sad, really. I never thought you to be this weak."

"Let go of my daughter, Yakone," Toph breathes out, her head spinning. "What do you want? I'll give it to you. Just let her go."

"Whatever I want?" Yakone asks, his eyebrow arching. "Hmm, what an _enticing_ offer."

"No, Chief… don't," Lin gargles as she juts her fist out, slamming her police wires into Yakone's leg, effectively causing the water connection to snap and Lin to fall a good four feet onto the ground. She screams out in pain, rolling to her side as she tries to cup her arm over the hole in her stomach. Toph runs to Lin's side, but her daughter earth bends the space beneath her and points her in the direction of Yakone.

"Get him," Lin spits out between wads of blood. "Go, Chief. I'm fine."

"What will it be, Chief Beifong?" Yakone asks, laughing hysterically. "My life, or hers?"

Toph looks at the blood-bender, now laying there, awaiting her next move. She knows that if she leaves Lin's side, she'll lose her daughter, but if she doesn't, then she'll lose the man who has terrorized this city for almost ten years. She's about to make her decision when she feels a gush of water wash over her and throw her backwards. Toph struggles to her feet as she tries to get her bearings, but another blast hits her.

"Time's up!" Yakone calls out. "And now, _two_ will die here instead of one."

"Not on my watch, you bastard!"

A blast of water bursts out from behind her, and Toph almost smiles at the relief of hearing a familiar voice. 

"You again?!" Yakone splutters as he comes to his feet. "You're just like your whore mother! Once wasn't good enough, so you need more."

"Get Lin out of here," Kya says as she blasts another funnel of water at Yakone. "I'll hold him off. Reinforcements are around the corner. Go!"

"You think you can take me?!" Yakone snarls as he stands, wiping his mouth. "You may be older now, but you are still no match for me."

"Oh yeah?" Kya asks, drawing up enough water to make a helix around her body. "Why don't you come test that theory."

As Kya engages Yakone in the fight, Toph scrambles over to Lin's motionless body. She cups her arms underneath Lin's armpits and heaves upwards, trying to carry her daughter away. Lin protests as she feels her body being dragged through the open space, and once she regains consciousness, she places her bloodied hand on her mother's wrist. She's about to say something when a body crashes into Toph's and sends her, and subsequently Lin, tumbling backwards. Yakone steps through the debris and destruction and Toph screams as she feels herself being blood bent once more. Beside her, she can hear Kya suffering, but oddly, not Lin. It baffles her, as to why he wouldn't just kill her daughter.

But then, she realizes something.

"Kya," Toph breathes out as Yakone draws nearer. "Can… you… blood-bend?"

"N-Now?" Kya whispers between gritted teeth. Toph nods slightly. Kya pales, her body fighting the grip.

"Her bleeding…," Toph wheezes, "you… can… stop… it…"

"I've… never tried…," Kya growls as she flexes her fingers, "not without… the moon."

"Focus," Toph urges as she clenches her jaw to ward off the pain. "Lin… needs… you."

Kya's eyes flash with a new sense of determination as she closes her eyes, fighting harder against Yakone's grip. The man draws closer, his footsteps stumbling as he struggles to hold Kya in the grip. Toph can feel the shift in the girl's energy and she prays to the spirts that Kya possesses the same power as the criminal in front of her. Yakone pushes harder, and Toph starts to lose sensation in her throat.

And then, just as she feels blackness creeping up on her, Kya breaks free of the hold. 

With Yakone sufficiently distracted, Toph juts her fist out and sends a wave of earth and metal in his direction. She shoves Kya in Lin's direction, placing herself between her daughter and her friend. Her chest heaves and sweat beads down her forehead as she kicks out another wall of earth in the direction of the tyrant. Yakone snarls in frustration and attempts to blood bend her, but Toph quickly strips some metal from her armour and sends it flying towards Yakone. It wraps around the water bender's eyes and blinds him, the ties too strong to break.

"Now we're on equal playing fields," Toph growls, stamping her foot in the ground to send a shockwave of rocks towards him. "I'm going to bring you in today, you monster. Your days of crime and destruction are over." As she hears sirens in the distance, Toph finds her alcoholic state subsiding and her confidence coming back. She rips off a roof and slams it into Yakone's chest, sending the man tumbling backwards.

Just as she's about to bring up a wall of rock to imprison him, Kya's strangled voice calls out from behind her.

"Toph wait, stop! I need help!"

Toph turns for a moment to feel Kya desperately with her hands over Lin's stomach, trying and failing to keep the blood inside her daughter's body. She forgets about Yakone as she rushes towards her daughter, sliding on her knees as she runs her hands over Lin's cooling frame.

"She's losing too much blood," Kya gasps as she struggles to blood bend the ruptured arteries back together. "I need my mom. Now."

Toph glances up to see Yakone fiddling with the restraints above his eyes, before finally throwing them off. Even though she cannot see, she knows that he is looking right at her, a smirk plastered on his face as he waits for her to make her decision. Toph keeps staring in his direction until she feels a cold hand fumbling with her own. Toph looks down to feel Lin struggling to hold onto her fingers.

"G-Go…," Lin chokes out, blood oozing down her chin as she struggles to speak. "He'll… H-He…"

"No," Toph says as she watches reinforcements finally come to a screeching halt near the crime scene. She looks up and she knows that Yakone has already taken off running. She knows where he is, but soon, he will be out of her seismic range. She shakes her head bitterly.

"C-Chief," Lin gasps as blood continues to pool in her mouth. Kya uses her free hand to bend it away. Toph's heart pangs at the sound.

"Lin please," Kya whimpers as she focuses harder on restructuring the arteries. "Stop talking and moving. You're bleeding out."

"I-I'm sorry… _Mom_ ," Lin wheezes again, her hand growing clammy against Toph's own as her heartbeat dims. "I… I tried…"

"No," Toph repeats as she reaches down for her daughter and places her hand on her forehead. "We're getting you out of here. Let's go."

* * * 

"Mom!"

Toph glances up to Suyin sprinting through the doors of the healing hut and to the waiting room, worry dripping from her aura. She can tell her daughter had been crying the whole trip here, but Toph doesn't have the energy to comfort her right now. She's hungover, exhausted, riddled with guilt, and emotionally drained from the day's events. She remains seated in her chair, her head bowing back down to her lap.

"Su," Kya's croaking voice sounds from beside her, "come, sit. Mom and the other healers went in with her."

"Is she okay?" Suyin asks as she comes to sit next to the water bender. Kya's face falls and Suyin swallows thickly.

"Kya?" Suyin stumbles on her name. "What happened to my sister?"

"Why don't you ask your mother?" Kya spits out, glaring in Toph's direction. Suyin's frame straightens and her eyes go cold.

"What did you do?" Suyin asks, her voice a low growl. "What did you get her into this time?!"

"I made a mistake," Toph whispers, her head throbbing as she takes a deep breath. "I… I sent her in and I…"

"A mistake?" Kya breathes out, her nostrils flaring with rage. "You call what you did to her a _mistake_?"

Toph doesn't reply, hanging her head in shame.

"You could have _killed_ her!" Kya exclaims, standing from her seat. "She told you it was too dangerous and you sent her in. How _could_ you?"

"I didn't think, okay?!" Toph replies in a roar, her voice cracking as tears stream down her cheeks. "I was drunk and I didn't think. I was irresponsible and I played with her life. I didn't care about her opinion even when she crafted the map and knew the area. I made a mistake, Kya, because I didn't _think_. I may have killed my daughter, and my last words were of an unforgiving kind. I _know_ what I did, alright?"

"You should be stripped of your badge," Suyin snarls as she wipes at her eyes angrily. "You don't deserve to be a chief."

"We'll discuss that later," Katara's calm voice interrupts, causing the three women to turn on the spot. "Now, we should talk about Lin."

"Is she okay?" Kya and Suyin both ask simultaneously. Katara sighs and nods sullenly, her eyes downcast and remorseful.

"She's fine. Give it a few weeks and she'll be back to normal. But I… I had to do something that I swore on my life I would _never_ do again."

"I'm sorry, Katara," Toph whispers, knowing exactly what her friend is speaking of. "I didn't mean--"

"Save it, Toph. Right now, the focus should be on Lin," Katara stops her coolly. "Aang is informed of the incident. He'll be here later to discuss what will happen with you." Toph nods, shutting her mouth and hanging her head. Suyin growls and glares at her mother as Toph sighs.

"Is Lin awake?" Toph asks, wincing as she anticipates more rejection. Katara waits a moment, and then nods.

"She asked for you," Katara says after some time. "You can see her now, if you would like."

"Please," Toph says as she follows Katara into the healing room. She can feel Kya and Suyin's stares on her back as she walks through the double doors and into the hallway. Before they reach Lin's room, Katara's hand juts out and pulls her back, placing her against the door.

"I didn't tell them because I didn't want them to worry, but you should know just the extent of the damage Yakone inflicted on your daughter," Katara hisses in a low voice, her hands gripping Toph's shoulders tighter than before. "She died, Lin. I had to bring her back using blood bending, an act that can get me expelled from the board of healers _and_ punished by death. An act that _I_ outlawed. An act my daughter was also forced to perform after your poor choice. I just want that to sink in, Toph. Lin got by with the skin of her teeth, no thanks to you."

Toph doesn't speak--she can't. The words don't hit her until Katara lets go and nods in the direction of the room. 

"Go see her," Katara tells her. "Pray to the Spirits that you still have a chance to salvage your relationship."

* * *

When Toph first takes a seat beside her daughter, she counts herself grateful that she cannot see.

Lin's breathing is laboured, but her heartbeat is stronger than when they had been on the dusty lot. Toph's eyes water as she takes a deep breath and reaches for her daughter's hand. Lin barely responds, and if it weren't for her ability to distinguish between her breaths, Toph would have figured she was asleep. 

"I don't know what to say," Toph mumbles after some time, her voice cracking. "Lin… I…"

"It's fine," Lin hoarsely chokes out. "I… I'm sorry Yakone got away again."

"No," Toph interrupts with a sniffle and a choked sob. "You shouldn't have to apologize. Yakone is on me. I fucked up, kid."

"Chief…"

"Lin, please." Toph pleads the words as she squeezes Lin's hand tighter. "Don't call me that."

Lin doesn't respond, unsure about what to do or say next. Toph stays quiet, her stomach curdling with guilt as Lin turns her head to face away from her mother's direction. Toph's heart shatters in her chest as Lin slowly removes their hands and places her own over her lap.

"I… I think I'd like to be alone," Lin says in a soft croak. "Please."

Toph just nods, unsure of how else to react. She wipes her tears and stands. She takes one last seismic glance of her daughter before she heads towards the door. Her shoulders are weighted with repentance as she opens the door and steps into the hallway. 

When the door closes behind her, Toph has to hold back her sobs at the sound of Lin's muffled crying from behind the wall.

In that moment, Toph knew that she could never forgive herself for what she had done.

* * * 

"So, what's the verdict, Avatar?" Toph asks as she sits at her desk, hands clasped nervously in front of her. "When's the trial?"

"You're kidding, right?" Sokka asks, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he stares her down. "You think this is funny, Toph?"

"Well, I only have two options in front of me, right?" Toph chuckles sadly. "Either I'm fired or I'm banished. What's it gonna be?"

"You must be even worse than I thought you to be if you think that this is a laughing matter. Your daughter is bedridden because of you."

"You think that I don't know that?" Toph replies with a low growl. "I relive that moment every damn night."

"Enough!" Aang's voice bellows out. "Both of you, settle down." Beside him, Katara glares at Toph, while Sokka takes his seat with an exaggerated huff. Aang straightens his robes and rubs his forehead, shaking his head in disbelief and disappointment.

"We can't do either," Aang says at last. Causing everyone's heads to jerk up in shock. "No one must know about this."

"Aang," Katara breathes out, "what are you saying?"

"Yeah Twinkletoes," Toph says, brow furrowed. "You should be kicking me out on my ass right now. What gives?"

"Yakone's presence will only grow stronger if you're removed from Chief of Police. With no suitable successor who is as knowledge as you at the helm of the organization, there is no way we would be able to stop him from wreaking havoc," Aang explains slowly as he looks up to the earth bender with a tortured expression. "After Yakone is caught, you will hand in your resignation and I advise you to leave Republic City."

"So you're not banishing me… yet?" Toph asks, confused. "I should be charged with negligence at the very least."

"I cannot frame it as banishment or else we could risk a public uproar," Aang says as he looks to Katara's disappointed expression. "I know that this isn't the option we wanted, but this is the only one that makes sense. We need Toph as Chief in order to stop Yakone. Once he is dealt with, we will revisit this incident with more detail." Katara scoffs, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration.

"So Toph gets away with what she's done?" Katara growls, her voice filled with ire. "She walks away scot free, meanwhile, your daughter and I were forced to break the law to save a human life? Where's the justice in that, Aang? You can't be serious right now."

"Seriously," Sokka adds as he clenches his fist on the table. "Toph shouldn't be here anymore. She's not fit for the position of Chief of Police."

"I agree with both of them," Toph says solemnly, "and I think you're making a mistake, Aang."

"No, I'm not. I am not thinking about the immediate context, but the future. You are our best hope of finding Yakone," Aang sighs as he takes a seat beside his wife. "Unfortunately, that's a bigger problem than the charges laid against you at the moment."

"You're kidding right," Toph scoffs in disbelief. "I almost killed my own child, Aang, or did you leave that part out?"

"Are you proud of it?" Katara sneers, arms crossed and brows furrowed. "You seem awfully boastful--"

"Katara," Aang warns cautiously, "that's enough. We're tabling this discussion. For now, we keep looking for Yakone."

Sokka and Katara filter out of the room without a second glance to earth bender, leaving Aang and Toph alone in the room. The younger woman sighs and scratches the back of her head as she rises, looking blankly at the Avatar whom she'd long since called her friend.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Aang. I know what I did wrong and I'll atone for it. If we don't find Yakone within the year, I'm resigning regardless. I won't sit here and pretend that I didn't do anything wrong," Toph says, her voice cold as ice. "I have that much awareness in me."

"You need to stop the drinking," Aang says, ignoring her statement. "You cannot afford to be caught ill-prepared again. We need you on the line to fight Yakone. No one else is strong enough to help take him down. I want him gone, Toph. He's wreaked enough havoc for a lifetime."

"On that note," Toph mutters darkly, "we can agree."

* * * 

Toph watches as Lin gently straps her armour into place, wincing lightly at the chaffing of the metal against the padding of the bandage covering her wound. The older earth bender watches worriedly as Lin steps into her boots, wiping away a bead of sweat before she sighs.

"I'm ready," Lin says as she turns to her mother. "I'll take the Satomobile east, towards the store. You head north."

"You're giving me orders, kid?" Toph asks sarcastically. "You want to be Chief instead?"

Something in Lin bristles, and Toph is surprised when her daughter turns around and growls, "maybe I should."

Toph doesn't argue back. Instead she hangs her head and nods, swallowing thickly. "Yeah… you should."

Lin's brows perk in surprise, but Toph just chuckles sadly. "You're perfect for the job, kid. A better metal-bender than me, a stronger leader than me. You've protected the world since you first came out of my womb with your fists swinging. I couldn't think of a more perfect chief."

Lin looks away, unsure how to digest the comment. Toph can sense that her daughter is unsure of whether she is being serious or sarcastic, and the thought that Lin doesn't believe in her own ability enough to understand why she would make a perfect chief makes her heart plummet. Toph takes a deep breath and goes to reach out for Lin, but the younger woman flinches at the sudden movement, before glancing down to her feet in shame. Toph reels her hand back in, biting back the whimper of sadness as she realizes what she's created.

"Let's go then," Toph mutters as she straps her uniform on, securing her chief's badge in place, unable to take the weight of the guilt it carries upon her chest. She takes a deep breath and looks towards her emotionless daughter. Lin leads them towards their cars and gets in her own. She starts the engine and speeds off, leaving Toph in the dust with her car, lonelier and more broken than ever before.

"What have I done?" Toph asks herself as tears film in her eyes. "I never meant to do any of this."

And with one final breath, Toph hoists herself in the car and drives off to her location.

Unbeknownst to her, today would be the worst day of her life.

* * * 

If she had known that there was going to be a robbery, Toph would have never have sent Lin towards the store.

"What. Happened?" Toph demanded, glaring at her daughters with guilt and anger. When neither answer, Toph slams her fist on the table.

"We were supposed to be arresting Yakone today, and instead you arrested your own sister?!" Toph shouts. "Now answer me. What happened?!"

"I didn't break the law," Suyin buts in first, her voice trembling. "I didn't even know they were part of the Triad, I was just their driver. I thought that we were just doing usual teen stuff, like being a delinquent and all. I never… I am _not_ a Triad member, Mom, you have to believe me."

"I don't care," Toph growls, ignoring her daughter for a moment. "I'm talking to _you_ , Lin. Why would you arrest your own sister?!"

"Because she committed a crime," Lin snaps back, her fists clenching. The two red lines on her cheek were blazing, dripping hot crimson blood all over the new carpet. "Su can't get away with this like she gets away with everything. I won't allow it, even if you don't, _Chief_." The last word is bit out with a hint of malice, and Toph knows that ever since that day, Lin has changed to become more ruthless and cold than she could have ever imagined. Suyin trembles beside her sister, looking more afraid than anything as she glances between her mother and Lin.

"Please," Suyin begs as she pleads for forgiveness, "don't arrest me. I didn't do anything wrong."

"You stole an entire store of jewels, destroyed public property, and _assaulted_ a police officer!" Lin bellows out, kicking her chair back as she towers over her sister. Suyin winces at the last accusation, her eyes flitting over to the still oozing blood from the raw, stinging flesh.

"Sit down, Lin!" Toph exclaims as she also stands to her feet. Lin takes her seat, her eyes a peridot blaze of anger as she glares at her mother. Toph takes a breath, her hands twitching, aching for a drink to soothe her troubles. "Now," she says with a grumble, "give me the report."

Lin hesitates for a moment before handing it over to the Toph. The older woman runs her fingers over the material before she rips it to shreds and throws it in the garbage. Lin's eyes widen with confusion. "What are you doing? That's destruction of evidence! You're breaking the law."

"And what are you going to do?" Toph snaps, standing once again to tower over her daughter. "Will you arrest me?! You have no power, Lin."

"Typical," Lin snarls, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she glares at the older woman. "You'll never take anything Su does seriously, will you? All these years, she has been sneaking out with her friends, and this is what she has been doing. Your own daughter is a criminal."

"At least she is not a traitor!" Toph snaps, sweeping aside her desk as she steps into Lin's space, shoving a finger into the younger woman's chest. The force drives Lin backwards as Toph continues to advance. "You arrested your own family, for a crime she is barely responsible for. She is a teenager, she hardly knows the difference between right and wrong, or consent. What will the world think when I am put in the spotlight for arresting my own daughter? The police force will never be taken seriously again." Lin scoffs, swatting Toph's hand away.

"Yet you didn't hesitate to throw your own daughter to her death, did you?" Lin seethes, her voice seeping with years of repressed anger. "You didn't care what happened to me when I went after Yakone. You only came to save your face, just like you're doing now with Su. The truth is that you never wanted children, and so that's why you despise us. You probably _wish_ I had died, isn't that right, oh great Chief Beifong--"

Before Lin can finish, a resounding _thwack_ echoes through the room. Toph feels the sticky warmth of blood on her palm, but the rage within her is uncontrollable now. Lin goes quiet, her hand coming up to touch the deep cuts on her cheek. Beside them, Suyin rises to her feet.

"Mom," Suyin mumbles quietly, "what should I do?"

"You'll go stay with my mother," Toph mutters, not taking her eyes off her eldest daughter. "You won't be able to return to Republic City until this all dies down. Once we find Yakone, I'm resigning. Whatever you both want to do after that, is up to you. I've clearly never been a proper mother to either of you so I don't see the point of starting anytime soon. Live your lives however you want, I don't care anymore."

"You _never_ cared," Lin spits out as she advances on her mother. "You only cared about your job and your reputation."

"You were always my greatest disappointment," Toph replies vehemently unable to stop herself from spewing the hatred that she knows she doesn't believe in. "I never should have had you, Lin. You are an embarrassment to the Beifong name. You were always weak, never willing to fight your own battles. And now, when you finally have the chance, you pick the wrong side. You ruined your sister's life and my own."

Lin's eyes well with tears as she looks away, her hands gripping her uniform. "You know… I spent all those years, wishing you would be proud of me one day," she gasps as the words start to burn at her throat, "but I can't believe I wasted it all on a lie. You never loved me, did you? It was all for show. You never cared what happened to me, only what happened to Su, because at least Su wasn't fucked up in the head, right?" 

"You've nailed it, kid. Your sister may be a delinquent, but at least she makes her own choices," Toph snorts, shoving Lin backwards. "You're a follower, Lin. You aren't strong enough to make your own choices. You could never be a leader. You're a weak, pathetic, mess of a woman."

Lin's eyes flash with betrayal as she swallows thickly.

"So you lied, then?" Lin asks, her voice airy and full of agony. "When you said I would make a good chief. You lied."

"Yeah," Toph replies, her heart breaking as she feels the walls Lin had built all these years finally come crumbling down. "I lied."

Toph stalks forward, her mind protesting against the actions of her body as she reaches for Lin's collar and shoves her backwards. She's unable to stop the next words from flowing, as much as she tries to hold them back. "Take your sister, and get the hell out of my face, Officer Beifong." Lin doesn't react to the second push by her mother and instead lets her shoulders deflate in defeat. All the fight Toph once felt suddenly vanishes, leaving a void between herself and her daughter. Lin just sighs and looks to Suyin with a blank, emotionless expression.

"Come on," she mumbles dejectedly, "let's go call Grandmother."

"Lin," Suyin says softly, "I'm sorry."

Lin doesn't say anything, and Toph hates herself even more when Lin just turns around and heads for the door without another word. She doesn't wait for Su as she opens the door and closes it gently, before walking towards the phone line down the hall. Toph sits down, holding her head in her hands as she quells the spell of nausea that swirls in her gut and licks at her throat.

"You… you didn't mean that, did you?" Suyin asks as she looks to her mother, her voice trembling. "About Lin? You didn't mean it, right?"

Toph doesn't reply, her words stuck in her throat as she stares down at her lap. Beside her, Suyin sniffles.

"She always wanted to be you," Suyin says bitterly, shaking her head. "But I pray to the Spirits that she _never_ becomes you."

And with that, Suyin turns on her heel and heads for the door, pausing once she's opened it halfway.

"Goodbye Mom," she says as she looks back to her mother sitting, staring at the floor blankly. "Good luck… with everything."

Without even so much as a slam of the door, Toph is once again reduced to a silent room, heavy with guilt and betrayal.

* * * 

Two weeks after Suyin leaves for the Earth Kingdom to stay with her parents, Toph falls back into the same pit of darkness.

She drinks and drinks until she's up to four bottles a day of fire-water. She continues the investigation into Yakone with Lin, and outside of work they hardly say a word to each other. Suyin's absence drives a deeper wedge between them as Toph turns to the bottle and Lin turns to the desk. Neither of them sleep, not without one or both of them waking from nightmares. Some nights, Toph notices Lin will sit at the dining table, reading her reports on the Triads until she eventually falls asleep on them. She knows that she should apologize, but she can't.

Eventually, she can't take it anymore and takes her jacket off, draping it over her daughter to keep her warm. She gently fingers over the two healing scars on Lin's cheek and turns away. She knows that many of the scars which litter Lin's body are caused by her own doing.

But no matter how hard she tries to fight it, the pull is too strong, and Toph finds herself at the bottom of the bottle each time.

* * * 

A month later, Lin unenthusiastically throws down a report file on Toph's desk.

"I know how to get him."

* * * 

Yakone's arrest is anticlimactic. 

The man is smirking when he's arrested, and he doesn't seem to mind being taken in chains to the police department. He doesn't resist or run, but simply resigns himself to his fate with an almost satisfied grin. After Aang, Sokka, and Lin have left, only Toph remains in the jail cell.

"You're wondering why I'm so happy," Yakone says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Toph grunts, trying to ignore his taunts.

"Well, since you won't ask, I'll answer it anyways," he chuckles, "I'm happy, because I accomplished my mission."

"And what was that, you blood-bending freak?" Toph growls, her hands gripping onto the metal of the rails. Yakone just laughs.

"I broke up the strongest family known to the Earth Kingdom," Yakone says with a sneer, "and I hardly even lifted my _finger_."

* * * 

Aang takes Yakone's bending, but Toph doesn't feel any satisfaction or relief.

The damage was done, and Yakone had won.

Now, there is nothing left to do but to hang up her badge and leave.

* * *

Chief of Police, and _Republic City's Hero_ Toph Beifong retires early to a magnificent parade and a beautiful ceremony.

And when her successor is called, the cheers are deafening. The entire public of Republic City stands on their feet to applaud the true mastermind of the plan to arrest Yakone. Lin stands atop the stage, dressed to the nines in her formal outfit, and Toph suddenly doesn't feel as guilty anymore. One day, she vows as she sneaks through the crowd and towards her Satomobile, she'll rebuild her family's relationship.

But for now, Toph thinks, she has to find her own inner peace first.

Toph gives one last prideful glance towards the greatest gift in her life, before disappearing without a trace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another PSA: this was just a story i did because i had sometime and i wanted to, but please do not ask about any of my other stories -- they are not being updated anytime soon. i'm a full time graduate student so i literally have no time. i just have been working on this for a little bit so i figured i would post if anyone wanted to give it a read!
> 
> thanks for reading!!


	2. Lin I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's time for you to look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions: who are you? And what do you want?" - Uncle Iroh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my sweet bby lin i love her so much and i high key want a whole series dedicated to the beifongs okay they're so amazing and it sucks we don't know more about their lives
> 
> i'm sorry if the tenzin is a bag of dicks in this story -- i really dislike their pairing and how it was portrayed as almost cute at how pema stole him away from lin like bitch that's still like cheating?? so i avoided writing too much of the tenzin/lin relationship. the main focus of this story is kyalin because they're the only thing in the world that makes sense, so i didn't really want to focus too much on old UNfaithful tenzin. 
> 
> also izumi is a sassy bitch just like her dad so y'all can fight me on that.
> 
> also just an actual serious note this chapter is long as heckle (i.e., like roughly 50,000 words??? on word it shows up as like 108 pages so whoop dee fecking do for me). i'm 100% certain this could have been a multi-chaptered fic on its own but whatever.
> 
> also i 10/10 recommended listening to The Hope County Choir's version of "We Will Rise Again" from Far Cry 5 for the final part if you really wanna cry??? but you know, it's fine.
> 
> anyways this is 50 shades of pain, so enjoy.

At the age of nineteen, Lin Beifong knew two things to be absolute truths:

1\. Loneliness is not a self-inflicted fate, but a chosen one.

2\. All love is nothing but a well-shrouded a lie.

As she stands in the empty living room of the Beifong residence, clutching her new Chief of Police badge in one hand and a haphazardly-written letter from her long-gone mother, Lin realizes that maybe the world was never meant to give her a break. She folds the paper in her hands and clenches her eyes shut, unable to muster up the courage to take another step further.

If she moves, mountains will fall.

If she does not, _she_ will.

Lin finds herself at an impasse, and for once in her life, she doesn't know which option is worse.

"She would be proud of you."

Lin doesn't react to the soft, gentle rasp of Zuko's voice behind her. She keeps her eyes closed and her head bowed. She chuckles after a moment, shaking her head as she opens her eyes and stares blankly ahead, the realization finally hitting her like a brick to the face: after all these years, Lin Beifong has finally been abandoned, left to her own devices, cast aside without a glance.

"She wasn't proud of me," Lin tells him, still refusing to turn around as she continues to chuckle. "She made sure to tell me that as often as she could. I could save the world, and my mother still wouldn't say those words."

Finally, she cocks her head over her shoulder, smiling sadly. "Before she left, she told me I was her greatest disappointment."

Zuko looks away, tears welling in his eyes as Lin sighs and shakes her head. Lin turns her back on him again, letting the paper fall from her hands as she finally takes a step forward. She gently lays the badge down on the dining table before heading towards her bedroom, leaving the fire-bender alone in the living room. She flips on the light to her mother's bedroom and stares inside from the hallway. She looks to the made bed and the barren walls, the rickety chair in the corner that she'd claimed since Toph's drinking had taken a turn for the worse, and Lin can't help but feel a pinch of worry settle amongst the dust in her heart.

"Lin," Zuko's voice sounds again. "I'm…"

"Sorry?" Lin breathes out as she turns around to see Zuko now in the hall. "I'm not."

Lin turns back to the bedroom and narrows her eyes, a stinging rage prickling at her skin. "As usual, she left me in charge to clean up her mess. I don't know what else I could have expected from a woman who chose the bottle over her own daughters."

A warm hand places itself on her shoulder and Lin hates that she revels in the soft touch of comfort. She hears Toph's voice in her head, telling her that she is weak, that she shouldn't feel because emotion is weakness and to show weakness is to--

"Lin?" 

Lin blinks out of her inner monologue to see that the walls are shaking around her. Zuko's hand has left her shoulder as he stares back at her in concern and partially in sadness. Lin quickly lets go of the earth around her and sucks in a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," she whispers as she looks to her trembling hands, "I didn't mean to lose control."

"You don't have to apologize to me," Zuko tells her, "I know Toph wasn't the best mother, but… she does love you, Lin."

Lin doesn't reply as Zuko's hand once again finds her shoulder. "And I know, no matter what she's said, she's proud of you."

"If she's so proud, she should tell me herself." Lin swats Zuko's hand away and shakes her head. "Instead, she ran away."

Lin turns around to face Zuko with a hardened stare as she straightens her back. "I'm not going to follow in her footsteps. I will be better, stronger, smarter than she ever was. I will not let anyone terrorize this city again. I will protect my people."

The scars on her cheek burn as she utters the words, but Lin Beifong is no stranger to pain.

No, she thinks as she looks to the man she's always idolized as a father-figure, she _is_ pain.

* * * 

"The new uniform looks good on you."

Lin looks up to see Kya stepping into the room, a kind smile on her face as she takes a seat on the corner of Toph-- _Lin's_ desk. As much as she wants to be annoyed, Kya's warm energy and pleasant change of personality has Lin's lips curling into a smirk.

"I spoke with Sato about stepping up the protection and creating a denser version of the metal," Lin explains as she reaches into the drawer to pull out the schematics she had drawn up herself. "I also included a part at the back that could extend our coils. It might come in handy if we're ever falling or going from building to building. It works similar to a spider's web."

"This is amazing, Lin." Kya fingers over the intricate details in the map. "Two weeks in and you're already doing so much."

"I have to," Lin says with a defeated sigh. "I have the great _Beifong_ name to live up to, after all."

Kya's smile turns to a frown as she glances up from the drawings to Lin's face. Her eyes drift to the near-healed scars that line her cheek. Kya had been the one to treat her down in the police infirmary the day of Suyin's arrest. She'd really only been there to check on Lin, but as soon as she'd seen the two deep gashes, she'd quickly swept her aside to patch her up. A near master water-bender herself, Kya managed to reduce the damage within a few days, but she'd said the scar would stay permanently.

Lin can feel her best friend's mood shift from happy to angry. "They should have been told the truth about what she did," Kya mutters as she reaches out to softly smooth her thumb over the raised lines on Lin's face. "You deserve better than this, Lin."

"No," Lin says with a shake of her head. "I know why Aang did what he did. Republic City believed that Toph Beifong was a hero. If the public knew about her actions… of what she did to _me_ …," Lin trails off on the words before shaking her head. Kya offers a sympathetic glance as she hops down from the desk and places her hands on Lin's shoulders, gently rolling her backwards so she can take a seat on the metal-bender's lap. Lin looks away, deep in thought as she plays with the hem of her uniform.

"You shouldn't worry about her anymore," Kya whispers as she traces Lin's jaw with her finger. "Now it's time to live _your_ life."

"And what exactly is my life?" Lin scowls, looking away from her best friend. "I will never escape my mother's shadow."

"You are _not_ your mother," Kya growls protectively, angling Lin's sharp jaw so they're eye-to-eye. "You are so much more, Lin." Kya's eyes fiercely stare into her own, her hands reaching up to trace the puffy lines of the two scars which mar her pale skin. Lin flinches at the soft touch, her eyes foggy and distant as she loses herself in the memory of how she received the cuts.

"No," Kya murmurs, her eyes drifting back to Lin's gaze. "Don't go there, Lin."

"I arrested my own sister," Lin says bitterly, shaking her head. "I dishonoured my whole family. Su… she must hate me." 

Lin's eyes glaze with tears as she defeatedly whispers, "I promised to always protect her. I… I failed, Kya."

"Suyin's arrest was not your fault," Kya urges her sternly. "You brought her in, but the things she did to get her there, that was on her. You did not break your family apart. Neither did Su or Toph. _Yakone_ is responsible for all of this. He knew who Su was and he lured her into the Triad through his nephew. She didn't know what she was doing. You did your job, Lin. It's not your fault."

"Then why do I feel so guilty?" Lin asks, her voice wraught with confusion. "I feel like an idiot."

"You're amazing, Lin. You saved your mother and your sister. You brought down the biggest criminal known to the city," Kya says, her tone growing stronger. "You are not your mother. Your mother isn't even _half_ the woman you are, Lin." Lin digests the words, but still is unsatisfied with the compliments. Sighing, Kya leans her head forward so their foreheads touch. Lin shivers at the closeness, her heartbeat jumping as she feels Kya's hot breath on her lips. They're so close, just a bit more and she could-- 

Suddenly the phone rings, startling both of them out of their moment. Kya slides off Lin's lap, blushing as she looks away.

Lin clears her throat and picks up the phone, "Officer--I mean, _Chief_ Beifong."

"It's Detective Mika, Chief. We've got a situation down by the docks."

"I'll be there in five minutes."

"Duty calls?" Kya asks, her voice slightly airy. Lin flushes and stands, adjusting her uniform and sighing.

"Duty calls."

* * * 

"What's the situation detective?"

Lin surveys the ransacked docks with peering eyes, her back stiff and her posture guarded. Detective Mika approaches her with a small baggie containing a white powder. Lin takes it and inspects the substance, her brow furrowing.

"What is this?" Lin asks as she glances back up at her surroundings.

"Drug traffickers, Ma'am. Looks to be remnants of the Terra Triad," Mika says as she gulps. "Even though Yakone's gone, the Triad is still active. I think they might have a new leader." Lin sighs, shaking her head as she looks to the docks.

"Run me through what you know," Lin says as she hands the package back to Mika. "I want updates and new information on my desk by Tuesday." Mika bows and nods, running through a brief summary about how a drug deal went down, but that it was intercepted. The police got the call late in the night, but by the time the officers had been dispatched, the criminals were gone.

"Do we have leads on who the leader could be?" Lin asks. Mika shakes her head.

"None for right now, Chief."

"Then get on it," Lin orders as she turns away. "Tonight, I'll pay a visit to the Avatar and inform him of the developments."

* * * 

Lin approaches Air Temple Island on a private police speedboat, trying to keep her stomach from doing flips as the boat rocks against the lake's rocky waves. The weather had taken a turn for the worst in the middle of her journey, the rain pelleting down upon her like ice pellets. It slices into her skin but Lin doesn't offer a flinch as she slows the boat as she approaches the dock.

Lin fastens the boat's metal coils to the wooden post and ties the raft in place before she gets off. She wipes at her brow as she heads towards the grassy hill. Memories of her fight against Yakone threaten to overwhelm her as lightening flashes over head. Thunder claps and roars, and Lin pulls her thick coat tighter into her body as she jogs up the muddy steps towards the building.

Something feels off, the minute that Lin steps foot onto the main courtyard. She notices that the lights in the temple are off, which is uncharacteristic considering everyone should be home and it was barely time for bed. Lin pauses for a moment, closing her eyes as she stamps her feet on the ground. Her seismic sense is thrown off by the rumbling thunder, but she makes out Tenzin, Bumi, and Kya in the living room, but they don't seem to be moving. Lin doesn't sense Aang or Katara either.

"No," Lin whispers as she runs towards the building, blasting the door down. She notices Bumi's body collapsed over Kya and Tenzin's, his back barely rising and falling. Lin rushes towards them and quickly checks each of their breathing.

"L-Lin?" Bumi gasps as he stirs into consciousness. "Dad… they… took…"

Lin reaches for his head as he passes out once more. Quickly pressing the button, Lin speaks into the microphone, "I have a ten-thirty-five in progress. I need all available officers dispatched to Air Temple Island immediately." Lin puts the radio back before taking it off her shoulder and placing it near Bumi. She slaps at his face, stirring him awake once more, but just barely.

"If anything happens, stay on the radio. The police will be here soon," Lin says as she hands him the device. "Try to stay conscious. Help is on the way." Lin takes one last glance at where Kya is resting, her arms thrown over Tenzin protectively. Lin can sense that she's not seriously injured, but simply knocked out. A deep fury builds within her as she stamps her foot again.

This time, she manages to pick up the faint sense of two people on the opposite end of the island.

Lin bolts from the room, bursting through the open walkway and sprinting towards the other end of the island. She can hear commotion now, amongst the thunder, and her adrenalin spikes. Sliding down one of the banks, she makes out the sight of Katara's famous water-arms. In front of her, Lin sees a burst of flame rocket through, sending Katara rocketing backwards.

"No!" Lin snarls as she leaps, drawing up two boulders at the same time before launching them in the direction of the fire-bender. She lands in front of Katara, and after quickly turning to make sure the water-bender is alright, Lin jumps into the fray. The fire-bender launches more flames her way, but Lin is quick to dodge as she flings more rocks and boulders in his direction.

Just as he goes to attack her, a gust of wind knocks him backwards. Lin looks up to see Aang, bruised and bloodied, in the Avatar state as he lands beside her. Lin looks to the other side to see Katara also standing, a deep cut running from her jaw to her ear, but otherwise appearing to be unharmed. Lin turns back to face the fire-bender, only to see the man is chuckling.

"What are you doing, Xai Bau?" Aang demands, slipping out of the Avatar's state. "You are a member of the White Lotus!"

"Not anymore," the fire-bender, Xai Bau snarls. "You want to turn the White Lotus into a public guard. The society was never meant to serve the Avatar in this way. The Avatar belongs to the people, and yet you are trying to hide him away."

"Enough," Aang growls as he kicks up a bridge of rock. "You will return to The Order immediately."

"No," Xai Bau says as he smiles crookedly. "I _will_ to bring an end to your pathetic rule, Aang… just not now."

Lin frowns as she extends her arms, forming two iron swords from the metal in her arms. "You're not going anywhere."

"This must be the new Chief Beifong," Xai Bau chuckles as he gazes her up and down. "You're certainly taller than your mother. I wouldn't say you're as intimidating. Though, I heard recently that the mighty founder of metal-bending herself went off the rails." Lin tries not to let the words sink in, but Xai Bau only laughs and continues to say, "I heard the true story behind her resignation. She was too drunk and made a bad call, one which almost got you killed. And then, your own sister, a Triad member. How disappointing, isn't it, to be the only remaining member of the Beifong clan _without_ a dark secret?"

"Enough," Katara steps in as Lin visibly tenses. "We're not letting you leave this island, Xai Bau."

Xai Bau turns his attention to the water-bender, a smirk in his place. "Give it your best shot, _Master Katara_."

As Katara goes to strike, Xai Bau swirls a torrent of flames around him like a fire tornado before slamming his fist to the ground. Lin quickly draws up a boulder wall as the flames lick out over top. She growls as the exposed part of her coat singes, burning the flesh on the side of her arm. She holds the wall in place as Aang quickly extinguishes the flames with his air-bending.

But when Lin lowers the wall, Xai Bau is gone.

* * *

"Thanks, Tenzin."

"It's no problem," Tenzin says with a blush as he finishes wrapping her arm. "I'm glad you weren't hurt too badly."

"I'm glad you weren't either," Lin replies as she looks him over, the boy she once knew now a teenager only a few years younger than herself. His grey-blue eyes are much like his father's own, and they hold a deep soul within them. He is taller now, his voice deeper than before. While they only had a five-year difference, Lin could notice some of the changes taking place within him.

"You should get some rest," she says as she rubs at the bandage on her arm. "I'll keep my officers here in case Xai Bau returns, though I doubt he would." With another blush, Tenzin nods and gathers his things before he stands. He offers Lin a farewell nod before brushing off his robes and heading towards the men's sleeping quarters. Sighing, Lin looks to the bandage again.

"Mom and Dad said they'd talk to you later," Kya's familiar soft voice interrupts her inspection. "Dad is busy on the phone with Zuko. He mentioned something about the White Lotus?" Lin rubs her forehead and nods as she stands to face her.

"Xai Bau is _displeased_ ," Lin grumbles the word, "at the current state of the society. He thinks they shouldn't be serving the Avatar so openly. The White Lotus was originally formed as a secret society, meant to transcend the boundaries of the four nations. They never explicitly sent out to serve the Avatar, but I suppose with all the changes, their responsibilities have changed." 

"But they also are tasked with protecting the next Avatar," Kya replies, folding her arms. "That's _literally_ their job."

"Not according to this guy," Lin snorts as she rolls her shoulder. "I don't know his agenda, but I think there are bigger forces at play. I don't think he is the only one who's defected from The Order. I believe that there is a chance there are more out there."

"You're right," Katara's familiar husky voice cuts in. Lin and Kya turn to see the older water-bender limp into the room. "Aang has just been informed that four more White Lotus guards are missing from the complex in the Northern Water Tribe."

"We have to stop them," Lin says as she buckles her uniform with a flick of her fingers. Katara sighs, shaking her head.

"There's nothing we can do right now. We don't know where they have gone, and our priority right now is figuring out what to do when the next Avatar is born," Katara says with words with a heavy tone, looking away. "Aang isn't going anywhere anytime soon, but we must prepare for what these defectors will do once his spirit passes." Lin digests the words before she nods.

"I'll keep more patrols around the island," Lin says as looks to the tired woman. "I won't let harm come to you or your family."

"Thank you," Katara says, her eyes misting as she steps forward to place her hands on Lin's shoulders. "And thank you for coming to our aid. I wasn't sure how you managed to sense we were in trouble, but I am grateful that you came."

Lin blushes, rubbing the back of her neck as she nervously replies, "well, I didn't actually know you were in trouble. I just came because there has been a sprouting of organized crime within the city. It looks to be remnants of the Terra Triad. Even with Yakone gone, I think they've got a new leader." Katara frowns at the news, her hand dropping from Lin's shoulder.

"This is… but how?" Katara asks, looking to the ground. "Yakone was the mastermind behind their organization."

"They only seem to be working in drugs for now," Lin assures her gently. "But I will keep an eye out if it escalates. This is far more important. I have my best detectives working on the case. I promise, I will not let the same destruction come to the city."

"I have no doubt you will."

Lin looks up to see Aang walk into the room, his left eye swollen shut and his arm wrapped around his waist. "Yakone posed a serious threat because of his blood-bending capabilities," Aang explains as he comes to stand beside his wife. "I took his bending in a public spectacle. I doubt anyone would try to attempt a resurgence knowing well of the consequences."

"Fair point," Lin agrees with a nod. "So what should I do now?"

"Continue with your work as usual," Aang says, smiling as he places a hand on her shoulder. "Should there be any progress or news on the defectors, I will let you know. I appreciate the extra guards and your work in protecting my family."

"Of course," Lin replies, bowing with respect. "If that is all, then I will head back to headquarters."

"Why don't you stay the night here?" Katara asks, her arm looping around Aang's. "We have an extra bed. It's still raining hard out there, and I don't want you going home alone." Lin feels uncomfortable at the warmth of the offer, so she politely declines.

"Thank you, but I must get going. I have some work to finish back at home," Lin says, avoiding the older woman's eye contact. "I will talk to the rest of you later. If there is anything, do not hesitate to call me." With a bow, Lin turns from the Avatar and his wife, her eyes barely flickering over to Kya's, before she makes her way out the door and towards the docks.

All the while she rides home, Lin doesn't stop thinking about Xai Bau's words.

* * *

As it turns out, Aang was right about the resurfacing of the Terra Triad.

Their new leader, Yin Lee, was nothing short of a coward. Once he had found out that the police were on his tail, he turned himself over and disbanded his operation. Turns out, meeting one Lin Beifong is enough to change a person's path. 

"I swear, I am sure he pissed his pants when you walked into the room," Kya chuckles as she stirs her tea and glances up at Lin working at her desk. "You just had to look at him and he immediately confessed." Lin's lips turn up into a small smile as Kya laughs, shaking her head. She watches for a moment, as the midday sun spills down on Kya's sleek hair. Her eyes glint in the yellow rays, turning them a greyish-blue. For a moment, Lin is speechless, her heart caught in her throat as she swallows.

"Lin?" Kya asks with a smirk, snapping Lin from her revere. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because she has a giant crush on you, of course."

Lin blushes as she watches Izumi walk into the room with a grin on her face. "We all know you're her weakness," Izumi says, winking at Lin as she blushes an even deeper shade of red. "Hopefully one of you will make a move because this is getting way too gay." Kya chuckles as Lin just mutters something under her breath irritatingly. Izumi takes a seat beside Kya with a smile.

"Why are you here anyways?" Lin asks, avoiding Izumi's previous comment. "Did something happen in the Fire Nation?"

"Hello to you too, Lin. It's so nice to see your ole' mug after all these weeks," Izumi says, causing Kya to chuckle. Lin rolls her eyes, but the fire-bender only leans back in her chair. "Dad's here to visit Aang. They have to talk about something, I think."

"The White Lotus?" Lin and Kya both ask at the same time. Izumi shakes her head.

"He didn't say," she replies as she reaches for a spare cup and pours herself some tea. "But… I don't think so."

"Strange," Lin murmurs as she watches her friend sip her tea. "Sometimes it feels like I hardly know what's going on in this city. There's so much ground to cover and not enough time." Kya offers her a sympathetic glance as she sets her tea down.

"You're doing your best, Lin. Given your circumstances, I'd say that you're doing a fantastic job."

"I agree," Izumi says as she nods, her gaze turning solemn. "I… I'm sorry I haven't been here since Toph--"

"I really don't want to talk about my mother right now," Lin gruffly interrupts, feeling her cheek sting with the residual pain. Kya and Izumi nod respectfully, knowing that the topic might still be a bit raw. Lin sighs, rubbing the back of her neck.

"I'm sorry," she mumbles as she looks to her desk. "I just…"

"You don't have to explain," Izumi tells her gently. "We might not know how you are feeling, but we're here for you, Lin."

"Chief Beifong?"

Lin looks up to see Luan, her mother's old assistant, standing at the door. "Yes?" She asks, standing up.

"Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko are here to see you," he says as he glances to the other women in the room. "Shall I tell them to wait a few moments?" Lin shakes her head and waves at him to bring them in. She gazes at her friends, who are already standing.

"I guess it's back to official _Chief_ business, eh?" Izumi jokes. "Have fun with our dads, Lin. We'll catch up later."

* * * 

"I like what you have done to the office," Zuko comments as he enters the room, Aang by his side. "It's… _minimalistic_."

"You mean how I took everything out?" Lin asks, arching her brow. "I hardly call it artistic, more like ripping out old wounds."

Zuko flinches slightly at the words as he and Aang take a seat. Lin offers them some tea, but they both politely decline. Lin takes a seat at her desk and gazes at the two older men, both of them she's always considered to be father-figures in her life.

"I doubt you're here for small talk," Lin says as she looks to both of them. "What's going on?"

"Actually," Aang says with a smile. He leans forward and places his hands on the desk. "We _are_ here for small talk. Zuko and I wanted to check in on how you were settling in. We both haven't had a chance to come by since your inauguration, and what with the White Lotus defectors on the run, we've not really had the time to sit down and talk." Lin frowns, puzzled at their words. 

"I don't need a babysitter," Lin says, crossing her arms. "I'm Chief of Police, now."

"Yes, but you're still only nineteen," Zuko counters gently. "Most people aren't even admitted into the academy until around twenty. You are a magnificent bender, a loyal cop, and I have no doubt you are doing your best as chief. However, you are still young, and we just wanted to make sure that you are alright. These changes must have been overwhelming, to say the least."

"I mean, my mother disappeared on the biggest day of my life and I practically banished my sister, so I don't think overwhelming cuts the list. But don't worry, I'm fine. Mom didn't raise me to be lily-livered and spineless," Lin grunts, her voice hardening. "I can handle any challenge that is thrown my way. I don't need you two to look after me. You're not my parents." Zuko flinches lightly at the jab, his head turning away in guilt. Lin watches his reaction, confused, but before he can talk, Aang speaks up.

"We may not be your parents, but we are your family. I'd like to think that all of our children were raised together," Aang says as she turns away from Zuko. "Zuko has been there for you and my own children as much as I have. I think he'd say the same about me, too." Zuko nods, snapping from his distant gaze to smile at his old friend, before turning back to Lin, clearing his throat.

"What we're both trying to say is that if you ever need advice, we're here. Leading a group of people isn't always easy, and it's harder to do on your own." Zuko says as he offers a sympathetic glance. "When I was called to the throne, I was scared, too. But, with Aang, Toph, Sokka, Suki, Mai, and Katara by my side, I knew that I would be able to lead my people. For the first few years, I relied heavily on my uncle to help with bolstering the spirits of my people. I needed his guidance and mentorship to lead them."

"Yeah, well, I don't need anything right now," Lin replies, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. Zuko clears his throat and nods awkwardly as Lin fixates her gaze on a small scratch on her desk. Aang looks between them quietly. 

"Well, if there's nothing else to be said, I need to get some work done," Lin says gruffly, trying to ignore the pit in her throat. Aang nods, standing up as he makes his way to the door. Zuko remains seated for a moment, looking almost contemplative, but then he sighs and stands. He follows Aang to the door, before turning back and taking one last look at the young metal-bender.

"We love you," Zuko chokes out emotionally. "I hope that you know that."

When Lin doesn't reply, Zuko sighs and turns, closing the door behind him gently.

In the silence that remains, Lin blinks back the tear that fights to break through and gets back to work.

* * * 

In the following months, Republic City remains at peace.

The gangs that had once terrorized her people are laid to rest, with only occasional minor crimes cropping up infrequently. Lin finds herself falling into her role easier after the transition, though she still has trouble reacting to people looking to her for guidance. She receives a letter from her sister, letting her know of her safe arrival in Gaoling and that her grandparents send their regards. She tells Lin of the boring lifestyle that her grandparents lead, and that she misses the vibrance of the big city.

Lin wants to be happy for her, but all she can feel is betrayal.

She only writes back a short acknowledgement of her arrival, and bids Suyin good luck on her future endeavours.

They correspond with each other for a few more weeks, until one day Suyin stops replying and Lin stops trying.

She thinks about writing to her mother, but each time she holds the pen, her hands start shaking.

 _You've always been my biggest disappointment_ , she hears her mother's vile words spit at her, _I never should have had you, Lin._

Lin puts the pen and paper aside, deciding that she will deal with her issues at a later date.

But later never comes, and the materials only gather dust in the corner.

* * * 

When she turns twenty-one, she moves out of her old house and doesn't look back.

Kya and Izumi help her move into a nice one-bedroom apartment near headquarters. It's located on the seventh floor and offers a beautiful view of Avatar Island. Her friends joke that there isn't much for them to move, considering Lin only ever kept the basics. Nothing but a few spare shirts, some tank tops and pants, her underwear, and her basic furniture come with her. 

"That was almost too easy," Kya chuckles as she bends the sweat from her brow. "We need to get you something to spice up your life, Lin. You've been on your own for two years now. Surely you'd want to at least hang a painting or have some flowers."

"Also a fridge," Izumi groans as she stretches her back. "I could really go for a cool glass of coconut water."

"I could go for something a little more relaxing," Kya says with a cheeky grin as she reaches into her pocket to pull out a stick of lily-weed. Lin rolls her eyes as Kya dangles the blunt in her fingers and chuckles at Lin's reaction. 

"You know you can't smoke that here, especially in front of me."

"You can cuff me up for it," Kya replies with a wink, "I wouldn't mind it, _Chief_. I like a little spice in my life."

"Gross," Izumi mumbles as she plops onto the couch, kicking her feet up on the table. "Get a room already."

"Izumi!" Lin hisses, blushing as Kya bursts into a laugh. "It's not funny, Kya. You're only encouraging her."

"At least someone is," Izumi quips again, "Lin wouldn't tell if someone was flirting with her even if they explicitly said it."

"Hey!" Lin guffaws, throwing her arms up. "Excuse you, but being the chief of police doesn't leave a lot of time for courting."

"Courting?!" Izumi blurts out as she laughs again. "No wonder you're single, Lin. _Courting_? Whew… that's rough, buddy."

"Shut up 'Zumi, at least I don't tell women that I'll rock their world with the mighty power of some _electric_ stimulation."

"Oy," Izumi gasps as she crosses her arms, "I told you that in confidence, you idiot!"

"Oh fight me."

"I will!"

Izumi leaps up from the couch and grabs Lin, putting her in an headlock as she wrestles the metal-bender to the floor. Kya just rolls her eyes at the stupid show of bravado, but grins when she notices the smirk on Lin's face as the metal-bender flips them over. Izumi is pinned beneath Lin's arm, kicking and clawing at the other woman to let her up. Lin just holds her down.

"Alright, alright I give!" Izumi gasps as she shoves at Lin's shoulder. "Spirits, are you _made_ of rocks or something?"

Lin gives a flex of her bicep, noticing with a blush as Kya's eyes widen at the sight. She clears her throat and lets her hands drop to her sides before reaching down to help her friend to her feet. Izumi just rolls her eyes as she shoves Lin backwards.

"You wanna go again?" Lin asks, giving her shoulders a testing flex. Izumi just growls under her breath.

"You win at hand-to-hand, I'll give you that, but when we bend, you don't stand a chance," Izumi says, straightening her shirt as she takes a seat on the edge of the couch beside Kya. "You really know how give a girl a rough time. You jealous, Kya?" Lin grumbles as Kya just rolls her eyes and tugs at Lin's arm, causing the metal-bender to fall back into the couch.

"Oh, just leave Lin alone. She's doing her best, isn't that right, babe?" Kya says, her fingers reaching out to play with the strands of the metal-bender's hair. "And just so you know, if anyone is winning a bending match, it's me. You two dimwits only think about strength and power. You wouldn't know agility if it hit you in the face. I'd take you down without even blinking."

"Our previous sparring sessions speak otherwise," Izumi says, shoving Kya aside so she can sit on the cushions. "Or do you not remember when you landed face first into a prickle-bush after trying to dodge one of my attacks? Man, Katara was so mad!"

"I don't even know why she kept that stupid bush around," Kya grumbles, her fingers not stopping their ministrations on Lin's scalp as she reminisces on the memory. "It's got literally no use whatsoever other than to injure unsuspecting victims."

"Unsuspecting," Izumi snorts playfully, " _right_. That's totally the case."

Kya is about to hurtle back another quip when the phone rings, causing the three women on the couch to groan. The water-bender arches her brow and frowns, pausing her hands. "How do you _already_ have phone calls? You've just moved in!"

"I have to be accessible at all times," Lin sighs as she stands and reaches for the phone. "This is Beifong."

"Chief, there's been an explosion near Future Industries. Several people are injured and many are dead."

Lin's face pales as she looks to her friends, "how long ago did this happen?"

"Just now, we're on scene but--"

The line cuts short, but before it does, Lin hears a trembling boom echo from outside of her building. She puts the phone down and rushes to the window to see smoke billowing out from a few meters away. Lin quickly sticks her hand out, summoning her uniform as she bends it onto her skin. Kya and Izumi are already standing, determination set in their eyes as they wait for Lin.

"Well," Lin says as she adjusts her metal bracers, "what are we waiting for?"

* * * 

Lin arrives on the scene to absolute chaos.

There are scattered bodies everywhere, and the entire area smells of burnt flesh and acrid smoke. She sees fire burning in the tall office building of Future Industries. People are pressing up against the glass of the windows, screaming for help. She spots Detective Mika leaning against overturned rubble, her hand pressed against her ribs and blood pooling down her forehead.

"What happened?" Lin asks as she eyes the other woman with concern. Kya immediately steps in and pulls some water from her pouch to begin triaging the wounds. Mika shakes her head, groaning as the cool liquid relieves her pain.

"Sato said that there was an explosion. Something in the gas line leaked. It caught an open flame," Mika chokes as she gasps in pain. "The building went up within seconds. I got Hiroshi out in time, but there are still hundreds trapped in there." Lin places her hand on the detective's shoulder, giving her an assuring squeeze before turning back to inspect the building. Finally, she looks towards Izumi and Kya, before pointing towards the flames licking up at the side of the building. 

"I need you two to put that fire out," she orders as she looks back to the building. "I'll take a team inside to get the workers."

"That's suicide, Lin!" Kya growls, pulling on her arm before she can rush off. "The building will collapse."

"I agree with Kya," Izumi says worriedly as she observes the flames. "This isn't a good idea, Lin."

"We have to help those people," Lin snaps back, looking to Kya's hand on her arm. "I can't let them die."

"And they can't lose you!" Kya replies, her voice tight as she squeezes her harder. "Please, Lin _. I_ can't lose you."

"Don't worry about me," Lin says, ripping her arm free. "Go. I'm sure Aang and Katara will be here soon."

"We're right here," Aang says as he hovers down from his glider. "I'm coming with you. Katara will help Izumi and Kya."

Lin nods, setting her jaw determinedly as she looks towards the fiery building. She feels hands on her shoulders and she's quickly pulled into a warm embrace. She looks down to see Katara's worried expression staring back at her.

"Be careful," she says as she cups her cheek, before glancing to Aang. "Both of you."

"We will," Aang says as he flicks open his glider. "Let's go, Lin."

Without another word, Aang glides up to the top of the building, while Lin charges towards the entrance.

* * * 

The smoke is thick, but she wades through the dust and ash to the sound of people screaming.

"Help!" She hears a woman cry out. "I'm stuck!"

Lin slams her foot down, getting a read for the environment. Her heart leaps to her throat when she notices just how many people have been trapped under the rubble. Most of them aren't breathing, and Lin knows there is nothing she can do for them. She steels away her emotions and focuses on trying to help those that she can. Bending the rocks and steel out of the way, Lin makes her way to the main factory floor. The darkness is overwhelming, and for a moment, Lin thinks about her mother.

"Please!" Someone cries from another corner. "I can't feel my legs."

"I'm going to help you all, just hang on!" Lin calls back into the darkness, steadying her stance. "Nobody move!"

With a shift of her foot, Lin focuses in on the rocks trapping the survivors and bends them upwards. Her shoulders shake as she heaves upwards, lifting the rubble and debris. She hears some people clamber out and rush towards the light behind her, but she knows there are a few that cannot move. Water drips down from above and Lin can hear creaking of the structure starting to give way. Knowing that moving the rocks might have upset the balance, she quickly bends them into a rock beam, alleviating some of the stress of the building that is soon to come down. Once satisfied with her work, Lin lets go and heads towards the injured.

"Over here!" She hears someone call for her. "My husband's legs are missing. I… I cant move him."

Lin peers through the smoke to see someone hunched over a whimpering figure. She quickly squats and looks to see a woman cradling a man in her arms. Lin grunts and reaches for his body. She can tell by the dimming of his heartbeat that he needs medical attention, but as she hears the groaning of the structure under the pressure, she knows she needs to make a decision.

"You have to go," she tells the woman solemnly, "the building is coming down. We have to leave or we'll be trapped."

"I'm not leaving him!" The woman snaps back, protectively leaning over the man's body. "I _can't_ leave him."

"Ming," the man chokes out, his breathing gurgling as Lin senses blood catching in his throat. "Listen… to her…"

"No," Ming cries out, clutching at his shirt, "I can't… I…"

Just then a loud snap echoes through the room. Lin barely has time to throw her hands up and bend the crushing rock that comes falling from the top. It hovers above her, but before she can turn back and ask if the workers are alive, the floor gives way beneath her. The grip on the rocks falter and Lin hears the characteristic snap of her arm breaking as one of them lands atop her. Growling in pain, Lin sticks her other arm out and focuses on the crumbling earth, bringing it to a screeching halt.

"Fuck…," she breathes out as she looks to the side to see that neither the man nor woman are in her sight. She's pinned down by the rocks in front of her, but she knows that if she were to bend them, the whole building might collapse. Her arm radiates pain, but Lin ignores it as she grits her teeth and bends just the right amount so she can successfully turn onto her stomach.

"Great," she mutters as water starts to drip from above her. She looks down to the cracks beneath her. "Hello? Are you okay?"

When no one replies, Lin clenches her jaw. She does some more intricate bending and moves to her side.

"I have to get out of here," she mutters to herself as she feels more water dripping down. "But… how?"

She finds herself thinking about her mother again, and the anger fuels her adrenalin. Lin doesn't want to be thinking about her mother, but despite her faults, Toph was the strongest bender she'd come across, aside from Aang. Her mother had single-handedly lifted an entire library out of the sand to protect her friends, had destroyed a metal drill, and ripped apart airships.

And, she had only been twelve-years-old.

Lin squares her jaw and closes her eyes, thinking about what Toph would do.

And then, the idea finally hits her.

"This better work," Lin grumbles as she agonizingly lifts her injured arm up. Despite it being broken, Lin forces herself to open and close her fist. She bites into her sleeve to muffle the screams, but eventually she manages to get both hands to bend the small rocks in front of her. Taking a deep breath, Lin looks inside herself, finds the source of her energy and pushes out.

The formation of rocks surround her, creating a rock armour as she shoves upwards. She drills her way through the earth, her body cutting through the rocks as she pummels upwards. Her arm is on fire and she can barely breathe under the protection she'd bent upon herself, but before long, she manages to reach a decent surface. Once she breaks the rock armour, she gasps.

"Lin!" She hears her voice being called, and she turns to see Aang gliding through one of the overhanging structures. "Are you alright?" Lin nods, stumbling to her knees as she catches her breath. Her arm hangs uselessly at her side, but she holds strong.

"Did you manage to get everyone out?" Lin asks, looking up to him. Aang shakes his head. 

"There are still a few people trapped in the middle floors. Everyone else either died… or jumped." Lin shudders at the sadness in the man's voice, but she knows there is no time for bereavement right now. She stands, biting back pain as she glances up.

"We need to get to them," Lin says as she looks towards the bits of rock sticking out. "But we can't bend the rubble or else the structure will give way. The building might come down at any moment. We need to get as many people out while we can."

Aang nods, following her lead as she whips out her coils and flings herself to the top of one of the rocky ledges. Aang follows with his glider, the both of them making their way up slowly until they reach the destroyed middle portion of the building. Lin has to hold back a gag as she sees splattered body parts and organs littering the floor. She schools her gaze forward, stamping her foot down to read the room. The walls shudder with the force, but aside from a few little rocks tumbling, nothing moves.

"There are four injured in the left corner. I'll take the ones on the right."

Aang moves quickly, bending away the dust with his air-bending before he disappears out of sight. Lin goes in the opposite direction, stumbling through the rocks and steel until she reaches a group of injured workers, cowering underneath a beam.

"It's okay," Lin says as she reaches out with her uninjured hand, "I'm here to save you."

"C-Chief Beifong," one of them gasps, "you came!"

"Come on," she says gruffly, helping them out of the little hovel. "We have to get you out of here."

The workers don't protest as they limp back through the maze of rocks and fallen steel, and towards the barely holding middle-floor. Lin can see Aang helping the last remaining workers down to the same location. Lin motions for the workers to wait as she watches him softly air-bend downwards, two men slung over his shoulder. He reaches the ground, setting the men down slowly.

"That's everyone," Lin says as she looks to the injured people. She's about to explain the escape plan when she sniffs.

"Wait," she says, holding her hand up, "that smells like--"

Before she can finish, a bellowing roar stuns them, and Lin barely has time to throw up an earth-prism around them before the ground rumbles and gives way once again. Lin screams as she feels the makeshift box she'd created strain under the falling rock, but she holds herself together. She barely glances over to Aang, gasping as she notices him laying on the ground, a deep wound on his skull. Blood sluggishly pools around him, and Lin can see the whites of his eyes flickering in and out of the Avatar State.

"Aang," she shouts against the whistling of the falling prism, "Aang, wake up!"

And then, the prism hits the ground. 

Lin turns her gaze away from the downed Avatar and closes her eyes. She focuses all of her energy on her bending and juts her arms forwards. The top half of the prism gives way, and Lin feels a burst of adrenalin sweep over her as she stops the rocks from falling. More are piling on top, but Lin knows that if she lets go, they will all die. She keeps her eyes closed and her feet planted, her senses honed in on the feelings of the rocks and the steel which continues to crumble. When she feels her feet slipping, she stamps them down, encasing them in a rock shield to prevent them from moving. She turns her focus back to the falling debris.

"Chief Beifong!" One of the workers yells her name in a panic. "The roof is collapsing!"

Lin's eyes flash open as she looks upwards, dust filters in her gaze, but she can see the rapidly falling spike of the tower hurdling towards them. She quickly turns her head to the other workers and the unconscious Avatar, before she narrows her gaze.

Holding her non-injured hand out in front of the rocks, Lin sweeps her left foot back, causing the rocks by the side to crumble apart. Using her broken arm, she forms a door, her shoulders shaking under the pressure of holding the entire building up.

"Take Aang and go!" She orders as she feels her knees tremble. "I can't hold it for much longer. Get out of here!"

The workers look hesitant, but Lin growls as and shoves her hand out again, bending the earth beneath them and sliding them towards the opening. "Go!" She tells them again, the conviction not leaving her voice. "Get the Avatar to safety, now!"

The workers snap out of their daze and nod, two of them reaching for Aang and draping an arm over each of their shoulders. They quickly rush out of the makeshift entrance just in time before Lin feels her grip on the rocks collapse. She crashes to her knees, struggling to swing her arm around in time to hold back the falling debris. Sweat pools in her neck and she growls.

When she manages to get onto one knee, she sends out another seismic glance. She can feel more people hanging off the structures, clinging to places up ahead to avoid the falling rocks. Lin knows that if she were to let go, or to push the debris away, she would kill them all. But, she knows if she can somehow lower it gently, she might be able to spare a few more lives. She knows she doesn't have much time. Her hands are trembling harder, her head pounding with the ache of holding it up.

"Come on," she hisses as she suspends the building midair, the spiked tower head only meters away now. "You can do this."

She closes her eyes and breathes in and out… in and out… in and out…

Lin channels her energy into her chakras and clenches her fists tighter than before. The pain in her arm is dull now as the adrenalin courses through her. With a flash of her eyes she rises back to her feet to stop the spiked roof from making contact. She heaves to her feet and plants them into the earth before she juts her shoulders forward and steps towards the debris.

The gargantuan size collection of rock and metal groans, trying to break through her hold, but Lin refuses to let it go. With a shout, she pushes back, ripping the building from the roots and holding it up. Light filters in from behind her as Lin continues to walk forward, bringing the collapsed building with her. She takes a few more steps before she rotates her grip, forcing the pile to move horizontally and not to hang directly above her. Her body protests with the movements, but she eventually gets the remainder of the massive tower to hover in front of her. The sunlight is blinding as she slowly lowers the rubble to the ground.

Once the last piece of earth touches the dusty field, Lin finally falls to her knees in exhaustion.

She hears the gasps of surprise and shock from behind her, but Lin can hardly move. She hears the whispers, one-by-one.

"She just lifted the whole building."

"Look, there's more people coming out of the rubble!"

"She saved them!"

"She saved the Avatar!"

Lin gathers herself before she turns, facing the crowd of shocked civilians and workers. She stumbles to her feet before looking out in the crowd to see Aang leaning upon Katara's shoulder, a proud smile on his face as he nods at her in acknowledgement. Katara has her free hand cupped over her mouth and tears in her eyes, and beside her, Kya and Izumi look equally relieved.

"Lin Beifong!" Someone shouts from the crowd. "The _real_ hero of Republic City!"

Lin sucks in a deep breath as she hears the crowd start to chant her name, cheering for her valiant efforts. Lin turns to see more people spilling out of the rubble and running to thank her. She is surrounded by a swarm of grateful survivors, each vying for her attention. Lin feels the air around her thin out as she looks back up to see Fire Lord Zuko fly in on his dragon. He looks relieved as he lands, the two of them making knowing eye contact before he rushes over to check on the Avatar. 

"Alright, that's enough, let's give the chief some space," a raspy voice calls out. Lin looks up to see Kya staring back at her, a proud smile curling at her lips. There are tears in the water-benders eyes as the crowd disperses and the cheering quiets down. Lin tries to take a step forward to greet her friend, but her knees give out and she stumbles forward into Kya's arms.

"Easy," Kya murmurs as she gently lowers Lin to the ground. "Your adrenalin is giving out. You need to rest."

"While that sounds like a good plan," Lin tiredly mumbles, her eyelids drooping. "I… I have to help…"

"Ssh," Kya whispers as Lin feels cooling water wrap around her broken arm. "Zuko and Izumi are already leading the rescue efforts. Sokka is on his way, too. You don't have to do anything now but rest, Chief. You saved them… and my dad." Kya's voice quivers near the end and she sniffles. Lin blinks up at her friend before weakly reaching out to graze Kya's cheeks.

"Thank you…," Lin murmurs as she lets her hand droop back down. Kya frowns, confused.

"You saved us," the water-bender chuckles as she continues to set Lin's bone in place. "I should be thanking you."

"No," Lin mumbles as she feels herself slipping into the void. "Thank you… for being there for me, when no one else was."

Kya pauses, overwhelmed by the confession, before slowly leaning to press a kiss to Lin's forehead.

The touch has tears welling in Lin's eyes, and she can't help but smile when Kya softly whispers, "I'll always be here."

* * * 

"What's the prognosis, Kya?"

Kya chuckles at the stubborn metal-bender sitting on her healing table with a shake of her head. "You're not healed yet."

"I bent a massive building with one arm working and the other one broken," Lin protests, glaring at the black cast encasing her injured limb. "You would think the least I would be cleared for is desk work." Kya rolls her eyes, sitting at Lin's bedside.

"You need to learn to take a break," Kya says as she inspects the cast. "It'll only be a few more days till we take it off."

"I told her the same thing," Izumi's voice sounds from the doorway as she leans against the frame to peer in. "But this dumbass just thought you'd let her get off easy. Now see, I told her that you don't seem like the kind of girl to give in--"

"Izumi, seriously?" Lin asks, blushing. "You want to do this right now?!"

"I'm flirting with her on your behalf because you won't," Izumi says, deadpan. "The least you could do is thank me."

"I'm regretting letting you drive me here."

"I live for drama," Izumi says with a shrug, "it's in my blood. Have you _met_ my aunts?"

"Ugh," Lin mutters begrudgingly, her eyes still glaring at her friend before she gazes over to Kya. "How's Aang?"

"He has a nasty concussion," Kya says, looking to her lap. "He's been having trouble sleeping because of the headaches and nausea, but Mom's been taking care of him. I've never seen him look so beaten down before, but he's really proud of you." Lin's lungs constrict at the words as Kya glances back up at her affectionately. "He says that your strength reminds him of Bumi."

Lin frowns, perplexed. "Your… brother?"

"No," Kya chuckles, "Bumi's namesake. He was the leader of Omashu and one of my dad's best friends. Apparently he was a whacky guy, but he was one of the strongest earth-benders, well besides… anyways, he was a member of the White Lotus." 

"Oh," Lin says as she nods, "Right. I got it."

"Yeah," Kya replies as she stands up, "well…  I have another appointment in a few minutes, so…"

"Right," Lin says, blushing as she swings her legs over and stands up. "Sorry to have kept you."

"You don't have to apologize," Kya reassures her with a smile. "You know that I love talking with you, Lin."

"I love talking to you too," Lin says as she blushes deeper. "I'm sorry I don't get to as much anymore."

"Seriously?" Izumi asks, reminding the two women of her presence. "I don't see why you don't just kiss already."

Lin scowls in her direction. "Izumi, I swear to the Spirits I'll take this cast and shove it up your ass."

"While that's super kinky, it's unfortunately not my style. At least, I don't think so… can't say I've really tried it."

"Just go wait in the car," Lin grumbles as she flips off the older woman. "Spirits, you're the _worst_ sometimes."

"But you love me!" Izumi chirps as she waves goodbye to Kya before bounding down the hall. Lin sighs, rubbing her head.

"Sorry," Lin replies shyly. "She can be a little much."

"I don't mind," Kya replies, smiling as she reaches out to play with a loose strand of Lin's hair. "She brings out your playful side. Sometimes it's nice to get a break from the professional, serious-faced Chief of the Republic City Police Department."

"I can be fun," Lin grumbles and Kya just laughs, "I mean it!"

"Then I guess you should prove it to me," Kya says, swallowing nervously as she looks up. "Maybe… on a date?"

"Oh," Lin blushes as she rubs at the back of her neck, "right… well, I, um…"

"For Spirits' sake Lin," Kya giggles as she leans in to kiss the metal-bender's cheek softly. "Just say yes."

"Yes," Lin whispers, her hand going up to cover the spot where Kya's lips had just been. "Yes, I'll… yes."

"Now go," Kya chuckles as she nearly shoves Lin out of the room, "call me with the details later."

Lin just stumbles into the hall, grinning sheepishly. She looks up to see Izumi smirking, twirling the car keys in her fingers as she grins in the younger woman's direction. Lin's grin turns into a scowl as she playfully pushes at her friend.

"Wipe that smirk off your face," Lin mutters as she tries to hide her reddened cheeks. "I'm not talking to you."

"Of course Chief," Izumi says coolly, not losing her grin. "You're welcome, by the way."

"Whatever," Lin grumbles, but she can't fight the smile off her face as they hop into the car. " _Fine_. Thank you."

Izumi just laughs, shaking her head as she starts the car and pulls down the street with a furiously blushing Lin in tow.

* * * 

"Alright, play it cool. You're on a date, not a stakeout mission," Izumi says as she reaches over to adjust the skinny black tie around Lin's collar. "Spirits' Lin, could you stand any stiffer? Kya's not going out with a plank of wood. Just relax, will you?"

"I'm nervous, alright?" Lin grumbles, fidgeting with the flowers in her hands. "I've never been on a date before."

"Aw, it's so sad that they grow up so fast."

"Shut up," Lin grumbles, punching Izumi in the arm. "You're only like two years older than me."

"Two years older and five years wiser, more like."

"Ssh!" Lin hisses as she sees Kya walking up their steps through the window. "She's here."

"Why are you shushing me?" Izumi asks, furrowing her brows. "She's going to see me, Lin. I'm standing right here."

Lin just shoves her aside and opens the door before Kya can ring the bell. Her eyes drift down to see Kya's outfit. The woman is wearing a beautiful blue dress with a slit running up the left side, ending around mid-thigh. Lin nearly drops the flowers in awe.

"Wow, Kya… you're… wow…"

"I'm here too," Izumi says, announcing herself as she squeezes past Lin. "Now you two enjoy your night and don't forget to use protection." Lin blushes furiously, but before she can yell at the older woman, Izumi slips away with a knowing smirk.

"Sorry," Lin mutters as she holds the flowers out, "these, um, are for you."

"Thanks," Kya smiles as she takes the flowers and smells them. "They're gorgeous, Lin. Thank you."

"Yeah," Lin says as she nods. "I just… I wanted this to be special."

"I see you're still following the healer's orders," Kya says as she looks to the cast. "I know how hard that is for you."

"You did always say I'm one of your worst patients," Lin quips back as she grins lopsidedly. Kya chuckles, rolling her eyes.

"Lin, babe," Kya says as she sets the flowers aside. "You _are_ my worst patient."

"So…," Lin stammers as she looks to the ground. "I, uh, cooked us dinner. Granted I'm not the best at cooking, mostly because I just eat whatever nutrients I need to survive, but like, I figured I would learn a recipe because you're special and tonight is--"

"Lin," Kya whispers, cutting off Lin's ramble. "Don't rush. I like you, and I'll _still_ like you even if you are a terrible cook."

"Yeah?" Lin asks, feeling her pulse pumping out of control. "I… I um, like you too."

"I know," Kya chuckles as she kisses Lin's cheek. "I kinda figured that part out. Now come on, let's eat."

* * *

Dinner is a quiet affair with Lin and Kya stealing glances at each other every so often. The food is good, and Lin is silently relieved that Kya isn't spitting anything out. She knows she's not always the most creative in the kitchen, or anywhere really, so to know that Kya appreciates her efforts makes her feel incredibly special. Their fingers will sometimes graze, the touch causing them to blush and mumble apologies. It's soft and sweet, and Lin feels her heart expand with each minute she shares with Kya.

After, as they wash the dishes, the two of them sit on the couch, simply holding each other.

"Tell me something," Kya whispers, breaking the silence as she runs her hands down the side of Lin's cast. "Were you scared, when you ran in there?" She leans her head on the woman's muscled shoulder, humming as Lin nervously extends her good arm out, allowing the water-bender to snuggle closer. Lin just sighs, her own fingers tracing a pattern down Kya's bare arm.

"I was scared," Lin admits as she holds Kya closer. "But not for me. I was scared… for you."

"For me?" Kya asks, confused. "I was on the outside."

"Yeah, but I had your dad with me," Lin admits nervously. "And I thought if anything were to happen to him, that you'd…"

"Don't finish that thought," Kya tells her gently as she leans up so they're face-to-face. "You're not my father's keeper, Lin. If something had happened to him, I would never blame you for it, and I certainly wouldn't like you less because of it."

"Yeah…," Lin whispers, trailing off. "I guess."

Kya frowns, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind Lin's ear. "What's going through your head?"

"I just… I guess I don't want to mess this up," Lin whispers nervously, her fingers growing clammy as she avoids Kya's imperceptive gaze. "And I know that Izumi is a prying little shit sometimes, but I… I don't know if I'm… _ready_ … for this."

"Lin," Kya sighs gently, a small smile tugging at her lips. "If you're not ready, I can wait."

"But for how long?" Lin asks, her voice cracking. "What if I'm never ready?"

"Then you aren't," Kya says with a shrug, "but I'll still be here for you, even if you drift away."

"You promise?" Lin asks, her voice meek as she whimpers the words. Kya just nods, leaning down to kiss her nose.

"Always," Kya replies with a warm smile as she leans back down to snuggle into Lin's side, "now hold me, Lin."

The two women falling asleep in each other's arms that night, peacefully and freely.

* * * 

When Lin is finally cleared for desk duty a few days later, she's surprised to see Zuko waiting for her in her office.

"Zuko," she greets him with a respectful bow, "what are you doing here?"

"I thought I would come visit," Zuko says, his eyes warm and soulful as he looks her up and down. "You're recovering well."

"Well, I'll take getting my arm broken over being impaled by an ice spike any day of the week," Lin jokes, but it comes out flat. The bitterness sifts through her tone and Zuko flinches at the hardness in her gaze. They both sit down at the desk quietly.

"So…," Lin trails off before clearing her throat. "How are you? How's Izumi?"

"Good," Zuko says as he relaxes into his chair. "She's been taking on more leadership duties in the Fire Nation. She was inspired by your heroic act and wanted to do more for our people. She's stepping into her role well. She'll make an excellent Fire Lord one day." Lin feels an ache at the pride in Zuko's voice, and for the first time in a long time, she wishes she could hear the same pride from her own mother. She shakes her head to clear away the thoughts, but Zuko notices the slight film of tears in her eyes.

"I spoke to Toph," Zuko says quietly. Lin's eyes flash and she jerks her head upwards. "She's in Ba Sing Se."

Lin grits her teeth, unable to hold her emotion down as Zuko murmurs, "I told her what you did. She was amazed."

"Don't lie to me," Lin snaps as she stands up, trying to hide her distrust over his words. "I don't need her support."

"I'm not lying," Zuko urges, "I spoke to her a few days ago. She's been seeking a spiritual treatment for her alcohol abuse. I think that going out on her own, she's managed to find her purpose. She's guilty about everything she did to you and your sister--"

"Then why didn't she tell us?" Lin asks, her voice cracking as she raises it. "If she's that guilty, she would tell us, right?!"

"Lin," Zuko sighs, rubbing his forehead. "Your mother has always had… _problems_ with letting people in. Do not doubt her love for you, even if she is no longer beside you. The day you were born was the happiest I had ever seen her. She may have said things when she was upset and drunk, but it wasn't the truth. She loves you and is incredibly proud of all your accomplishments. I know she made her mistakes, but she is trying to atone for them. It's a process, Lin, one that cannot be rushed."

Lin feels tears burn in her eyes. She grits her teeth, growling, "it doesn't change the fact that she abandoned me."

"No," Zuko agrees sadly as he looks up with a pained expression. "It doesn't. And I am sorry that she left you, Lin. I… I know how much she meant to you. I know that you wanted to be like her when you were younger, that you idolized her."

"Not anymore," Lin scoffs, blinking away her tears. "I don't want to be like her. I am going to be the woman she never was."

"Then you must not shut her out," Zuko says as he stands, his voice cracking. "You cannot abandon her, either."

"Why?!" Lin shouts at him, her fingers trembling as she steadies herself. "Why is it okay that she leaves me, but I can't untether myself from her? Why is it that anytime I do something right, I hear her voice in the back of my head, telling me I'm a disappointment? Why do I still care about how she's doing when she hasn't messaged once?" Lin looks away, huffing.

"Why…," she stammers as she blinks up to Zuko with a defeated gaze. "Why do I still love her when she _hates_ me?"

"She doesn't hate you," Zuko whispers as he moves around the table to draw Lin into his arms. "She doesn't hate you, Lin."

"Then why did she leave?" Lin croaks as she buries her face into Zuko's cloak, unable to stop her tears this time. "Why did they both leave me? I thought I was good enough. I thought that I made her proud. I did everything I could and it wasn't enough."

Zuko doesn't reply as Lin continues to cry. He only wraps his arms around her tighter. Lin closes her eyes and tries to appreciate the comfort, the love, the support that Zuko carries, but it's all empty. It's empty because everyone has comforted her, loved her, except for the one person she needed the most. The realization sits upon her back like a pound of bricks, and Lin feels defeated.

"I have to work," Lin says, removing herself from Zuko with a sniffle. "Thanks for the visit, Zuko."

"Lin," Zuko murmurs as he offers one final squeeze to her shoulder. "Think about what I said. Please. I'll talk to Toph about writing to you, or even placing a phone call. If I can arrange a flight I can bring her here on Druk--"

"No," Lin says, her voice hardening and her eyes turning cold. "I don't want to see her."

"Lin--"

"I said no, Zuko." Lin's voice is final. "Respectfully, you should go. I have to get back to work."

Zuko sighs and hangs his head, knowing that he cannot do anything but leave his words to settle in the air. Lin watches as he mumbles a farewell before exiting her office, closing the door behind him. When she's left alone, Lin sits back down in her chair, holding her head in her hands before she takes a deep breath. She opens her drawer and reaches inside.

Lin pulls out a photo, the one taken when Suyin had just been born, and she stares at it in grief.

But then, that grief feeds into betrayal, which ignites into fury.

Without thinking, Lin rips the photo to shreds before throwing the pieces across the floor of her office. Her chest heaves up and down as she kicks at her desk and metal bends a shelf to the floor. Her anger is red hot, infiltrating her soul from head to toe. She feels like she's about to explode from the pent up emotion she's held back all these years, but then, her anger fades away.

As Lin looks to scraps of the one family picture she's ever kept, all that's left is an all-consuming emptiness.

* * * 

A few weeks later, and Lin is still angry.

She exercises out the rage, building muscle in places she never thought she would have. She trains at the gym, spars with Mika, and runs a marathon each morning. She has so much energy all pent up inside of her, aching and festering to be freed.

Which is how she finds herself right now on Air Temple Island, sparring with Izumi.

Katara had long since decided that the island needed a sparring field, what with the girls always being notorious for ripping up her flora or destroying the structures of the temple. Aang had easily created the field with a few Avatar tricks. The area is barren dirt, with two large ponds on either side. The edge is outlined by four large pillars with metal hooks and wires connecting them. 

"Come on then," Lin pants as she shrugs off her shirt, leaving her just in her chest wrappings. "Is that all you got?" Sweat rolls down her collarbones and down her abs, causing them to glisten in the early morning light. Her breath mists in front of her as the cool air raises bumps on her flesh. Izumi pulls off her own shirt, leaving her in a traditional Fire Nation chest wrap.

"I was just getting started!" Izumi chuckles as she raises her fists. "Let's go, Beifong. You and me!"

Lin draws up a chunk of earth and sends it blasting in the other woman's direction, but Izumi dodges the attack fluidly before raising her fists, sending a plume of blue flames towards Lin's chest. The metal-bender quickly raises her hands, pulling up a wall of earth to deflect the attack before she squares her stance and jabs her fists outwards. She bends the rock wall in front of her to launch out pieces in disc-like formats. Izumi tries to dodge most of them, but with the rapid fire, she misses one.

The fire-bender is sent tumbling backwards with a grunt as Lin stands up, wiping her brow.

"You honestly thought you would get started without me?"

Lin turns her head to see Kya walking down the steps towards the field, dressed simply in her chest wraps and some shin-length tights. Lin's mouth goes dry as Kya raises her hands to tie her hair up in a messy pony-tail, exposing the smooth skin of her stomach. While Lin's body is more muscled and stout, much like the stone and rock she's grown to bend, Kya's body is lean and lithe, like a dancer. The pale dawn light cascades over her olive skin, causing it to almost sparkle in the crisp morning air.

Lin's interrupted from her thoughts by a small shock of electricity.

She shivers, looking back over to where Izumi is staring at her with a deadpan expression.

"Really?" Izumi asks, arching her brow. Lin rolls her eyes and stamps her foot, causing a block of earth to knock the woman backwards. Lin chuckles as Izumi stumbles back to her feet, glaring in the metal-bender's direction as she dusts herself off.

"Now, now, Lin." Kya's voice draws her attention. "Play nice."

Lin just grunts, but Kya stands before her and smirks, bending a bit of water to lightly splash in the other woman's face.

"Alright, 'Zumi. You had your fun," Kya says, still not taking her eyes off Lin. "But I think it's my turn with Lin."

"Sure thing, I'll just blind myself now so I don't have to witness whatever sexually-charged 'sparring' is about to happen."

Lin launches another block of earth in Izumi's direction without looking at the woman. Her eyes are all for Kya, who's grinning at her mischievously. She hears Izumi mutter something under her breath as she walks over to the edge of the field and sits down.

"Get on with it then!" Izumi calls out with a bored expression. Kya chuckles as sizes Lin up playfully.

"Best of luck," Kya whispers teasingly as she takes a few steps back, "try not to eat too much dirt, Beifong."

Lin doesn't even find the courage to reply as Kya turns around and makes her way to the other end of the sparring field. Lin just gets herself into her stance, raising her fists. Kya turns back to face her, closing her eyes and taking a breath before raising her own arms. Water is pulled from the ponds and circles around the water-bender until she's able to form a helix around her body.

Not one to be out-done, Lin lifts a series of medium-sized rocks before swirling them around her body to form an atom-like structure. It's not too dissimilar to Kya's water creation, but Lin just smirks in the younger woman's direction, arching her brow.

The two of them stand there in silence for a few moments, awaiting the other's move until finally Lin juts her fist outward.

Kya's water stream blasts outwards to intercept the rocks as another stream quickly darts around the other side to smash into Lin's side. The attack blindsides the metal-bender for a moment before she sweeps her feet, shifting the ground beneath Kya and causing the woman to stumble backwards. The water falls from her grip and Lin hops to her feet, quick to take advantage.

Kya recuperates with a huffed breath, pulling her arms back before funnelling water in Lin's direction. Lin dodges, but isn't able to quite move out of the way as Kya whips the water around to smash into her back. Taking Lin's distraction to her advantage, the water-bender leaps forward, drawing up a water-whip into her arms before slapping it against Lin's legs, knocking her feet from out under her. Lin grunts as she's slammed onto her back, but backflips as she senses another blast of water.

Kya lands on the ground in front of a heaving Lin, a sly smirk on her face as a loose strand of hair dangles between her lips.

"Give in?" Kya asks, panting. "Or do you want some more, Chief?"

Lin growls as stamps her foot down before punching her fists, drawing up a wall which then slams into Kya. She then quickly rips up the earth so that it rockets upwards, sending Kya flying backwards until she lands with a grunt on the opposite end. Lin leaps over the wall and sprints in Kya's direction before glancing upwards. She extends her fists outwards, metal-bending one of the wires towards her and pulling herself upwards. She flies through the air before diving downwards, landing with a rippling wave of earth. The shockwave sends a barely-standing Kya stumbling even further backwards, but the water-bender only grins.

Before Lin can react, something wraps itself around her ankle and flings her forwards before twisting her in the air. Lin lands roughly on her back with Kya straddling her hips. The water-bender's hands find themselves on her sweaty shoulders, pinning her down. Lin tries to react, but as she stares up into Kya's pouted lips and flushed face, she finds herself motionless.

"Pinned you," Kya whispers as she adjusts her hips. The motion causes both of them to blush as they both twitch. Neither of them make any attempt to move, however, even when Izumi's throat clears in the background, clearly unimpressed.

"I did tell you, didn't I?" Izumi asks as Kya finally rolls off Lin with a deeper blush. " _Sexually-charged sparring._ "

Lin just clenches her fist and sends a small piece of rock flying into Izumi's forehead.

"Ow!" Izumi growls as she rubs at the red spot on her head. "Real mature, Chief."

Kya helps Lin to her feet, swaying as Lin leans into her a bit too close. The metal-bender can feel the soft, warm breaths of the younger woman against her own lips, and neither of them can hold eye-contact for much longer as the tension builds.

"Break it up," Izumi mutters as she pulls them apart. "I've not trained in like four weeks. I didn't come all the way over from doing diplomatic shit in the Fire Nation to deal with you two being all gooey-eyed." Lin looks over to Izumi, arching her brow.

"It shows," Lin quips as she flicks another rock to smack against Izumi's side. "You've gotten soft, 'Zumi."

Izumi growls, her face flushing as she throws her fists up. "I'll show you soft, you little twat!"

* * * 

By the end of their sparring session, all three women are wiped.

Lin lays between Izumi and Kya as they all stare up at the sky from where they're splayed out on the grass.

"You guys remember when we used to sneak out at night to pro-bend at the arena?" Izumi asks, chuckling. "We used to wear those ridiculous masks so our parents wouldn't find out that we were the team that kept annihilating everyone in the play-offs."

"The _Mainland Masked Marksmen_ ," Kya replies, shaking her head as she chuckles. "We were pretty uncreative for a bunch of teenagers." Lin snorts as Kya's head leans itself onto her shoulder, their fingers lightly playing and teasing each other.

"Remember when Aang found out?" Izumi asks, reaching up to place her hands behind her head. "He was so mad, but mostly because he was rooting for the Red Sand Rabaroos to win the championship tournament." The fire-bender turns to Lin, smirking.

"I'm pretty sure the only person that wasn't mad was Toph," Izumi says softly, gauging Lin's response. "She was the one who insisted to get season tickets once she found out we were the team that was undefeated. That's probably the only time I've ever seen her smile." Lin just sighs, blinking back the hurt that washes over her as she douses herself in the memory.

"Remember that time they had to eject her for harassing the ref after one of the Tigerdillos threw a headshot at Kya?" Lin chimes in, chuckling sadly. "I'd never heard Mom swear that much, at least not before she started drinking." The air grows tense.

Lin bites her lip, regretting the words that had just left her mouth. She knows that her mother is still a touchy subject, one that she's still not comfortable with talking about for long periods of time. Beside her, Izumi slowly leans up to glance at her.

"You know," the fire-bender says quietly, "you could talk to her, Lin."

"Not you too," Lin grumbles as she sits up, removing her hand from Kya's. "I'm not interested."

"Maybe she wants to apologize?" Izumi asks, her voice growing concerned. "You can't shut her out forever, Lin."

"You don't understand," Lin snarls as she leaps to her feet. "You live in a perfect world, with a doting dad and a caring mom. Both of you have grown up with their love and support. Neither of you have experienced what I have, so don't try to give me advice."

"We're just trying to help," Izumi argues back as she also stands. "Lin, you've become relentless these past few weeks. You're driving yourself into the ground with the amount of work you do. By the Spirits, when was the last time you slept properly?"

"Stop it, Izumi. I mean it." Lin's voice grows cold. "Drop it."

"Guys, come on," Kya sighs as she stands up. "Don't fight. Izumi, maybe Lin needs time. And Lin, maybe Izumi has a point. You need to start taking better care of yourself." Lin grunts, shoving off Kya's comforting hand as it reaches for her shoulder.

"I can take care of myself just fine," Lin mutters as she glares at the both of them. "I don't need your help."

"Maybe you don't need it," Izumi agrees, trying to diffuse the situation. "But you don't have to do this yourself."

"Well maybe I want to!" Lin shouts, stepping into her friend's face as fury lights her body. "Ever consider that, huh? Maybe I don't want your help because you barely take anything seriously!" Izumi's eyes flash with hurt and anger as she reels back in shock.

"Lin," Kya growls sternly, reaching for the metal-bender's arm and lightly pulling. "Come on, that's enough now."

"Stop trying to act like you know what's best for me," Lin snarls, ignoring Kya's insistence as she continues to glare at the fire-bender. "You're not my older sister. You don't know the first thing about me, Izumi. You don't know what I've been through."

"I would if you would just tell me," Izumi snaps back, leaning into Lin's space. "But you decide that fighting out your problems is a better alternative than talking about them. It's not healthy, Lin. If you keep this up, you'll end up killing yourself."

"Maybe that's not such a bad thing!" Lin interrupts coldly, causing Kya to gasp from besides her. "Sure beats whatever life I'm living now, right?" Izumi's eyes well with tears as Lin drops her head, her chest heaving as she struggles with her emotions.

"You don't mean that," Izumi whispers, her voice cracking. "Lin, you don't mean that, right?"

When Lin doesn't reply, Izumi reaches out and pulls the younger woman into her arms. "I won't let that happen to you."

"Neither will I," Kya says from behind her, wrapping her arms around both benders. "We've got you, Lin. Even if you don't want us there, we're still here. Both of us are not leaving your side. No matter what happens, you need to know that. You're _not_ alone."

Even though their words sink deep, Lin knows they don't sink deep _enough_.

* * * 

Eventually, Izumi goes back to the Fire Nation and Kya returns to help Katara with her healer duties.

And Lin?

Lin just does what she does best.

She moves on, working hard to keep her city safe, even if her heart breaks at the seams.

* * * 

Three years go by painfully slow, and Lin finds herself in limbo.

Toph doesn't send a word, and neither does Suyin.

For all she knows, her entire family could be dead.

So Lin just keeps her head down and works until she can't feel anything. The relationships she'd spent years cultivating with her friends grow dimmer, and soon, Lin is as out-of-touch with the world as her mother had once been. But she doesn't dwell on the loneliness, the creeping fear that no matter what she does, her destiny is to live in an empty house with an empty heart. She stops visiting Aang and Katara. Sokka only visits when there is work-related duty to acknowledge or councilman business.

She hasn't seen Zuko or Izumi in years.

Her work begins to pile up, and some days Lin will look to the top shelf in her kitchen, at the bottle which destroyed her mother, and she feels the temptation itch at the back of her neck. Some nights, it's worse than others. Some nights, Lin finds herself curled up into a ball on her living room floor, her fingers curled into her hair, tugging at the strands to alleviate the burning within her chest. Other nights, she goes to the gym and she spars until her body gives out. 

Working gives her purpose. It distracts her from the cruel reality that she is alone, and she will always be alone.

 _Just like me_ , she'll hear Toph's voice in her ears on the worst nights, _like mother like daughter._

Lin gets older, and as she ages, the world only serves to be more cruel and calculating than ever before.

The bottle still stares at her, and each night, Lin feels the itch spread.

It's only time before she knows she won't be able to resist any longer.

* * *

"I'm going back to the Southern Water Tribe."

Lin stands in silence in the middle of her living room, looking at a devastated Kya as she stands there, waiting for a response.

"But… I don't understand why?" Lin asks, confused. "Aang and Katara live here… you…"

"My grandfather is dying," Kya explains as she wrings her hands together nervously. "Naturally, Mom or Uncle Sokka are next in line for the leadership, but since she has to work with Aang and Sokka is a councilman here--and since I'm a water-bender…"

"You're going to be the chief?" Lin interrupts in disbelief, her brow furrowing. "But you hate leadership. You're a free spirit."

"I don't have a choice, Lin. I have to do what I can to help my people," Kya says, swallowing thickly. "Just like you."

"But I had a choice," Lin says as she reaches for Kya's hands. "If I wanted to, I could walk away from this job. You can too."

Kya scoffs, her eyes misting as she shakes her head. "You have a choice? Really, Lin? Look me in the eye and tell me that you would leave this job, that you would hand over the responsibility of protecting a city to another person. Your mother left you in charge, and you were forced to clean up her mess because if you didn't do it, then your people could have been destroyed."

Lin takes a breath, but she can't muster up the courage to reply. Kya sighs, smiling sadly.

"See," Kya whispers as she gently reaches for Lin's chin, tilting it upwards. "You _do_ understand, Lin."

"But what if I don't want to understand?" Lin replies, her voice low and shaking. "What if I… What if what I want…"

Lin can't look Kya in the eye as she whispers, "what if what I want is _you_?"

They've been dancing this dance for three years now. The flirting, the teasing, the longing glances and gentle hand-holding, it's all built up to this moment. Lin's spent three years trying to avoid the burning flame in her chest, but she can't do it anymore.

Finally, after all these years of waiting, Lin feels she's finally _ready_.

When Kya doesn't reply, Lin feels the aching sting in her chest. It festers like an open wound until she can no longer breathe. She feels embarrassed and ashamed. All of her memories of failure come rushing through her, washing over her mind in a cloud of darkness. She sees herself putting her mother to bed after a long night of drinking. She sees her wrapping the coil around Suyin's wrist. She sees her mother's devastated face as she was forced to make a decision that ultimately tore their family apart.

Maybe…, Lin thinks as she feels her resolve crumble, maybe it was all her fault after all.

"I love you," Lin whispers, knowing there's no point to holding back anymore. She looks up, empty and defeated as tears roll down her cheeks and drip silently onto the wooden floor. "I love you, Kya. I always have. I… I don't want you to leave."

Kya's own eyes are filled with tears when Lin begs, "please… you can't leave me, too."

"Oh Lin," Kya whispers as she cups Lin's face in her hands. "I… I'm sorry."

Lin hangs her head, her shoulders slouching as she feels Kya's forehead press against her own.

"I love you too," Kya hums, her voice trembling as she turns her mouth to place a soft kiss against her temple. "I have loved you since the moment I first saw you." Lin sniffles, her tears coming harder and faster than before as she moves closer to Kya.

"Then don't leave," Lin pleads, looking up at the water-bender. "Be with me. We could be happy together."

Kya's eyes drift to her lips, and then back up to Lin's desperate gaze. Lin reaches up, placing her hands over Kya's own. She feels their softness and for a moment Lin curses herself for being so rough, for being so cold and hard to love.

"I leave tomorrow," Kya chokes out. Lin takes a breath and looks down to Kya's lips, before glancing up again.

"Then tonight," Lin whispers, "let us at least have tonight, Kya."

Kya looks to Lin's lips before taking a deep breath.

"Okay," Kya says, her voice soft and low, sad and sweet. "We'll have tonight."

* * * 

When Lin first leans over and kisses Kya, it feels like she is shot into space.

Her body shakes with the raw beauty that is presented before her. Lin's lips press against Kya's own, a perfect fit as their hands intertwine and their fingers weave together. Lin breaks the kiss for half a second, but that half a second feels like the end of the world. Kya, seemingly feeling the same, is quick enough to reattach their trembling lips as Lin leans up, deepening the kiss.

At the first swipe of her tongue over the water-bender's own, Lin finds her heart burst with life.

"Lin," Kya breathes between heated, messy kisses. "I need you."

Lin just nods, speechless as she keeps kissing the love of her life. She slows it down, wanting to savour each and every moment, each taste of life that could have been, a life that she will never have because she is Lin Beifong, and Beifongs' don't find love.

But Lin loves Kya. Of all the things in the world she's sure of, this is _the_ absolute truth.

When Lin's cheeks grow wet with her tears, she feels Kya slowly pepper kisses onto them, chasing away her sadness and guilt and filling the spaces between with a new breath of light. Lin feels her body grow lighter, more free with each gentle graze of Kya's hands over the front of her body, on her shoulders, in the space beneath her breasts, on her abdomen.

And Lin no longer finds herself able to resist.

She takes her hands and slides them tentatively up Kya's waist, her thumbs smoothing over the fabric and causing Kya to let out a tiny gasp. Kya's hands move down to the hem of Lin's shirt, and she reluctantly removes her lips so she can look at Lin properly. The metal-bender is slow to open her eyes, but when she does, she is met with a feeling of total and utter calmness.

"Can I?" Kya asks shyly, lightly tugging at Lin's shirt.

Mute, Lin only nods, not wanting to be apart for that long again.

Kya tugs at Lin's shirt, and suddenly, their clothes can't come off fast enough. Lin feels Kya claw at her exposed arms, tracing over the scars as she moves them backwards, closer towards her bedroom. Lin's hands slip under Kya's dress, and she gasps as she feels the soft, warm skin there. Kya's head tilts back as Lin walks them against the wall, her lips moving to the valley of Kya's neck. She plants kisses there, mapping every inch of the water-bender's skin with a trail of love. Kya's hands manage to reach down and pry the tank top off of the metal-bender, leaving Lin in just her chest wrappings. 

"Spirits," Kya whispers as she looks down to the hardened lines of Lin's abdomen in awe. "You're… You're so strong."

Lin takes the words with stride as she reaches under for Kya's thighs before hoisting them up. Getting the message, Kya quickly wraps her legs around Lin's waist, revelling in the sensation of those callous hands rubbing smooth lines up and down her thighs. The two of them meet again in a series of kisses, some deep and slow, while others are messy and quick. 

Eventually, the two of them pull away from the wall and tumble into Lin's bedroom. Lin gently lowers the other woman onto the edge of the bed before kneeling before her, hands resting on the water-bender's knees. She glances up, vulnerable and open as she stares into Kya's beautiful blue eyes. Kya smiles bittersweetly, tears still running down her cheeks as she reaches for one of Lin's hands and places behind her back, on the zipper of her dress. Lin flicks her fingers, bending the zipper down slowly.

When the dress slides off her body and Kya is left in just her bra and underwear, Lin can't speak.

"I love you," she whispers as she places her hands on Kya's shoulders. "I… you're… you're beautiful, Kya."

Lin stands and leans over, kissing her love with as much emotion as she can convey. Kya's hands tangle in her hair before making their way down her front. They linger upon her abdomen, her fingers lightly tracing each line of muscle.

Kya breaks the kiss to lean her head forward so she can press her lips against the scarred skin of Lin's stomach. A sharp gasp leaves the metal-bender's lips as Kya kisses her way down each ring until she reaches the metal buckle of her best. Lin looks down, ready to raise her fingers to simply metal bend the object off, but Kya shakes her head, a smile turning up at her lips.

"Don't," she whispers, pressing another kiss on Lin's belly button. "Allow me, _Chief_."

Lin can't take her eyes off Kya as she flicks open the leather and lets the buckle run through until the belt is undone. She slowly undoes her zipper, revealing the thick border of her compression shorts. Kya runs her fingers over the hem, her nose brushing against her skin as she gently moves the offending fabric further down her thighs. Lin reaches down, holding Kya's wrists.

Concerned, Kya's head snaps upwards with a confused look on her face. Lin blushes.

"I just…," Lin whispers, as if speaking any louder would corrupt the moment. "I want us to do it together."

Kya's face softens at the admission, and Lin moves over her until Kya's back hits the bed. The water-bender slowly spreads her legs, allowing Lin to settle between them. The metal-bender quickly shucks off her pants, leaving them both in only their underwear. Lin simply takes a moment to breathe in the moment, of Kya looking up at her with such love and emotion.

"I love you," Kya whispers, her fingers coming up to cup Lin's jaw, drawing her in for another kiss. "Don't ever forget that."

Lin loses herself in the kiss, her mind and body finally feeling at peace as she feels Kya run her hands down to unfurl her chest wrap. The cloth falls beside them, and Lin has to hold back a groan of pleasure when one of Kya's hands cups her breast. The water-bender's thumb grazes over her hardened nipple, and Lin gently nibbles on Kya's bottom lip in response.

It doesn't take long before they're both completely undressed, with Kya having rolled Lin on her back. She straddles the metal-bender, her hands firmly gripping Lin's strong shoulders as she repositions herself, so their slick slides against each other.

"Spirits," Kya gasps as her hips give an unsteady jerk. "You're so wet, Lin."

"Fuck," Lin hoarsely rasps, her hands finding Kya's waist. "You too."

Kya leans back down to kiss her lover fiercely, and Lin is blown away by the heat in the kiss. Before long, Kya's hips begin a steady grinding motion and Lin claws into the smooth skin of the water-bender, gasping into her kiss. Kya hisses at the pain, but just keeps grinding harder, their centres clashing and allowing for the best amount of friction for both of their clits. Lin jerks her own hips as Kya slides down, allowing for a deeper connection. One of Kya's free hands claws into Lin's arm, leaving red welts in their path as she moans into the metal-bender's lips. She keeps rocking, her breathing escalating at the same time as Lin's own.

A pressure builds within Lin and she knows that she's close. Judging by the blistering pace Kya sets, she knows she's not alone.

"Come with me," Lin pleads, smashing their lips back together in desperation. "Please… Kya… I need you."

"I'm here, love." Lin's heart jumps at the pet name and she feels her tears well up again. Kya kisses her harder.

"I love you," Kya whispers like a mantra as Lin feels her body tighten in the most beautiful pleasure. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Lin replies breathily, her eyes closing as she releases herself to the whims of her body. "I will always love you."

And with one last grind, the two of them come undone with their lips pressed together and their hands intwined.

For the first time in Lin's life, the world finally makes sense.

* * *

"So…," Kya murmurs into Lin's chest, one arm tucked between their sides and the other hand tracing Lin's abs. "That was…"

"I've never… you know…," Lin admits shyly as she continues to run her fingers through Kya's hair. "I'm sorry if it was bad."

Kya places one hand on Lin's strong chest and leans up so they are face-to-face. "Don't apologize. It was amazing."

Lin doesn't reply, bare for reaching up and planting a soft kiss on Kya's nose. Satisfied, Kya returns to her place, her head back on Lin's chest and her fingers on the smooth lines of her muscled stomach. "Besides," Kya whispers softly, "that was my first time, too." Lin smiles, blushing as Kya nuzzles into her, her lips pecking the smooth skin of her chest.

They both lay in silence for a few moments before Kya gently moves her fingers to trace over the raised, puffy scar which runs from her belly-button to below her breasts. Lin winces slightly at the sensation, and Kya's fingers pause in worry.

"I'm sorry," Kya says as she flattens her palm and moves it to rest over Lin's heart. "You've been through so much pain and loss, and I'm sorry that I'm about to add to it. I never wanted to leave you, Lin. You're the love of my life, and my best friend."

"Kya," Lin breathes out, her throat catching. "Can we talk about something else?"

"The sun is going to rise soon," Kya murmurs into Lin's chest sadly, ignoring the question. "When it does, I'll have to leave." 

Lin wraps her arms around Kya tighter and rolls them so they're side-to-side. She looks into the other woman's blue eyes with a longing expression, and Lin can't help but wonder what would have happened if she had just confessed her feelings earlier.

"Then let us make the most of this moment," Lin hums as she kisses Kya's forehead and then her lips. "Let me love you, just for a few hours more. Please." Kya reattaches their lips as they kiss for minutes, until their lungs can't handle being without air.

Kissing Kya is like drowning, Lin decides, but in the best sense of the word.

They both snuggle in closer after a few more kisses, Lin's strong arms wrapped around Kya's back and Kya's hands placed firmly against the flat of Lin's chest. Their foreheads graze as they close their eyes, revelling in the quiet tranquility of the moment. 

That night, Lin falls asleep to a dreamless slumber, one not plagued by nightmares or scarring memories.

But, when she wakes up to an empty bed, Lin wonders if it was all for nothing.

* * * 

Lin and Kya exchange letters ever so often, but with both of them leading busy lives, it isn't easy.

The loneliness is worse now, more than it has ever been. Somedays, Lin will lay awake at night, trying to recreate that night from memory just to ease the suffocating ache in her chest. She'll close her eyes, imagine Kya's skin on hers, her scent, her love…

But some nights, it's too much.

Some nights, all it does is remind Lin of the impossibility of love.

And those nights, the nights where Lin craves the touch of her lover, the comfort and safety of her arms, are the worst nights.

Because despite her memory, Lin knows that is all it is.

A fleeting moment from the past, not a glimpse into the future.

* * * 

Two years later, tired from working on a case with Aang, Lin finds herself back on Air Temple Island.

She sits on the rocky edge of the eastern cliffside of the island, staring at the waves lapping against the shore. She hovers a few rocks in her hands before tossing them towards the water, watching as they skip along the surface before slipping into the sea. Lin continues the rhythmic motion blankly, her eyes focused on a distant point while her mind rendered itself clear.

"I think that's cheating."

Lin turns around to see Tenzin walking up behind her, a slight smirk on his face as he takes a seat beside her. Lin looks back to the water as she chucks another rock, watching as it skips ten times before disappearing. Tenzin reaches for her hand, stopping the next rock from flying out. Lin looks down before glancing back up at him, her eyes taking in the stubble of his beard.

"You trying to look like your dad or something?" Lin asks, arching her brow. "Because that poo-stache needs some work."

Tenzin blushes, rubbing at his jaw. "I'm trying my best. I'm not blessed with the natural air-bender hair growth."

Lin gazes at him softly before chuckling tiredly, looking back to the rocks in her lap. "It's not cheating, you know."

Tenzin removes his hand with another blush before he clears his throat. "And why's that?"

"Because," Lin says, eyeing the rocks. "Some of the rocks are already thin. I don't need to change them."

Tenzin mulls over the deeper meaning and swallows. He looks to the point on the horizon where the sun meets the sea. They share a moment of silence as Lin throws the last rock into the water. They both watch it skip a few times, before it disappears.

"Lin!"

Lin turns her head over her shoulder to see Aang running towards her in a panic. Lin stands immediately, Tenzin rising with her. Aang approaches them, his face scrunched up in worry. There's a pained expression on his face and Lin stands straighter.

"What is it?" Lin asks, but judging by the look on Aang's face, she doesn't want to know the answer.

"It's Xai Bau," Aang says as he looks towards Republic City. "The White Lotus spotted him at the docks."

Lin's face sets determinedly as she looks at Aang, noting the deep bags under his eyes and the slouch in his shoulders. She knows that age might be catching up quicker to the Avatar than he had expected. While all of Team Avatar members were still relatively young, she knew that having been stuck in an iceberg for one-hundred years might not have helped Aang's aging.

"You stay here," Lin says as she fastens her armour tighter. "Katara and I will go check it out."

For a moment, she thinks that Aang will refuse, but then she watches as the Avatar hangs his head in defeat.

"Tenzin," Lin says, looking to the younger air-bender. "Stay with him. Call Sokka, too."

"Zuko is already at the docks," Aang says as he sits down against an upturned rock, looking exhausted. "Go, help him."

* * * 

Lin and Katara make it to docks just in time to catch the brunt of the fighting.

But this time, he's not alone.

Four young adults are behind the man, an armless water-bender, an earth-bender, and a fire-bender. The other seems to be a non-bender, wielding a wooden staff as he fights with members of the metal-bending police. Xai Bau notices her and smirks dastardly, holding his hand up to stop the fighting for a moment. Everyone pauses a moment as Lin steps foot onto the docks.

"If it isn't the great Lin Beifong," Xai Bau laughs, "I heard you finally replaced Toph as the hero of Republic City."

"What are you doing here?" Lin asks, her fists raising in a battle stance. "You're a wanted criminal, to be tried for high treason."

"No," Xai Bau snarls, "if anyone should be tried for high treason, it is the Avatar."

"I won't let you anywhere near Aang, if that's what you think you're going to be doing," Lin growls, kicking at the dirt to lift two rocks up and hold them at her side. Xai Bau shakes his head, laughing maniacally as he glances over her shoulder to the island.

"I'm not interested in Aang," he states as he lights his fists on fire. "His time will come soon, don't you worry."

Lin watches as the armless water-bender pulls the water and forms water arms, and the earth-bender brings up his own rocks. The fire bender has a cloth wrapped around her forehead as she steps forward, her eyes ablaze with fury as she grins at them.

"And when he is gone and the new Avatar is born," Xai Bau says coolly, "we'll finally have new world order."

Lin holds her breath as Zuko and Katara inch closer to her, each of them drawing up their own element. Katara has formed a water helix, while Zuko has his flame daggers ready to strike. Lin turns her attention back to Xai Bau, who grins at them.

"Now!" He shouts turning to face the three benders. "Ming-Hua! Ghazan! P'Li! Take them out, now!"

P'Li, the fire-bender, launches a burst of flame in Lin's direction, but the metal-bender easily dodges the attack and retaliates by smashing a boulder into her chest. With the woman knocked down, Lin turns her attention to the water-bender, Ming-Hua, and the earth-bender, Ghazan, who are battling Zuko and Katara. The Fire Lord has Ming-Hua cornered, his skills clearly no match for her, while Katara has Ghazan suspended with a water-whip. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees the familiar flash of black hair. Lin turns to see Xai Bau running towards the boat with the non-bender and Lin lets out a low growl.

"You're not getting away this time, Xai Bau!"

With that, Lin kicks up a line of boulders, sending Xai Bau stumbling to the ground. She raises her fists and locks him in an earth-hold before lifting his prism from the ground. She launches him to the other end of the dock, causing him to crash into one of the abandoned warehouses. Lin then turns her attention to the non-bender, quickly whipping out her coils and reeling him back and away from the boat. The man lands with a grunt as Lin then kicks onto the ground, sending him stumbling back.

"Zaheer!" She hears the fire-bender cry out from behind her. Lin whips around to see the woman now on her feet, a look of rage encompassing her expression as she charges towards Lin. The metal-bender changes gears and raises her fists again, shifting the earth beneath P'Li's feet and sending her crashing into the wall of another warehouse. 

Lin runs towards the woman, the earth raising beneath her own feet as she launches herself in the air, bringing a torrent of rocks up with her, before launching them in P'Li's direction. Lin watches as the fire-bender attempts to bend them away, but a few make impact, sending her rolling backwards. Lin places her fist first into the ground, rippling a shockwave towards her.

"Don't involve yourself in this," Lin says as she raises her fists again, "you won't win this fight."

P'Li stumbles to her feet, chuckling airily as she looks up with a knowing smirk.

"You want to bet?" She asks, her hand going towards the cloth around her head. Lin frowns in confusion at the strange markings on the woman's head. She lowers her fists as P'Li looks directly towards, squares her shoulders, and snaps her head forwards.

"Lin!" 

The metal-bender has barely have enough time to react to the flash red that knocks her aside before the barrels behind her explode. Lin looks up to see Zuko making his way back to his feet, sending a blast of lightening in the woman's direction.

"What was that?!" Lin gasps as she stands up, her eyes wide with disbelief. Zuko looks to her, his face one of pure terror.

"She's a combustion-bender," he says as P'Li gets back to her feet. "She can make things explode using her mind. You must not let her get close." Just as he finishes talking, P'Li gets up and looks in their direction, snapping her head forward once more.

This time, Lin is more prepared as she side steps and brings up a wall of earth to defend herself. She whips the boulder she'd used as a shield in front of her before pulling up two more and sending each in succession. There's a resounding _boom_ as the first boulder is decimated but the shot doesn't go through the second one. P'Li is thrown back and Lin charges forward, changing the metal in her suit to extend metal blades from her arms. She leaps into the air and dives down, fists extended.

The blade lodges itself into the dock thanks to a quick dodge by P'Li, but Lin quickly bends it back and juts the other one forward, firing the blade into the chest of the fire-bender. P'Li screams in pain as Lin bends the metal in further, wrenching it past bone and muscle. With her other hand, Lin raises a block of earth and sends it in the other woman's direction.

"Give up," Lin breathes out through gritted teeth, "you won't win!"

The fire-bender lets out a roar before snapping her head forward, letting lose another concussive shot. Lin tries to get her hand up in time, but the shot manages to land in front of her, sending her sprawling backwards. Her chest doesn't cooperate and Lin can feel the air unable to leave or enter her lungs. She's stunned, staring up at the sky with a dazed expression.

She hears another loud series of _booms_ , and she barely has the strength the fold the rocks beneath her around her body, forming a hard layer of armour. The blast penetrates through the rocks, sending Lin hurtling back even further than before. Her body flies off the edge of the docks and into the cool water, startling her body back into action. 

Lin concentrates, reaching deep within herself as she raises the earth from the sea floor and rises through the water. Her ribs are on fire from the hit, but she doesn't bother herself with the pain. Instead she launches a few more rocks in P'Li's direction before jumping back onto the dock. She notices the metal is still stuck within the fire-bender, so she reaches out and clenches her fists. The metal bends within P'Li's skin as Lin forces it downwards, cutting a deep incision in the fire-bender's chest. 

"No!" 

Lin stamps her foot to the ground and locates the origin of the sound, before launching an attack with her unoccupied hand. She draws up a line of earth and sends it punching in the direction of the non-bender, Zaheer, who had apparently come back for more. He stumbles backwards and then flies into the wall behind P'Li as Lin sends another devastating attack.

"Lin, let them go!" She hears Katara scream from across the docks. "Xai Bau is gone!"

Lin loosens her grip on the metal embedded in the fire-bender, her eyes wild as she looks around in search of the other fire-bender. She turns back to the docks to see the missing boats and her heart sinks. She looks to Katara and then the island.

"He's gone after Aang!" She shouts back as launches an attack against the Ghazan, allowing Katara a moment to break free from the fight. "Go after him! Zuko and I will hold these guys off." Katara nods without hesitation before jumping into the water. Lin watches as she skates atop the surface at a breakneck pace before she turns back to the earth and water-bender.

"So you're the great earth-bender they told me about," Ghazan pants, grinning. "Well, this will be fun."

Lin draws up a line of earth and sends it flying into the other man's chest. Just as she goes to attack, a twirl of water wraps around her waist and hardens. Lin barely has time to react before she's flung in the opposite direction, her back smashing through the rooftop of one of the warehouses. She stumbles to her feet, dazed and hurt, before she finally launches herself back into the air with a shove of some rocks. She lands on the roof and runs, sticking her arms out to draw the metal of the tiles.

She launches them like pro-bending discs, with one of them smacking into the square of Ming-Hua's back. Zuko has Ghazan cornered and is launching a flurry of fire-bending attacks. She notices the older man tiring slightly, and knows she must act.

Lin is about to jump down from the roof when she hears the crackling boom of P'Li's combustion bending ripping through opposite end. Lin is flung forward, but she manages to thrown her fist down upon landing, encasing Ming-Hua in an earth prism hold. Lin quickly turns back and flings off a piece of metal sleeve and sends it towards P'Li. The metal wraps around her forehead, preventing her from blasting anymore combustion shots. Lin then quickly raises the fire-bender in a prism hold.

She notices Zaheer rushing towards P'Li, so she quickly traps him, too.

With three out of the four young adults trapped, Lin turns her attention to Ghazan. She can see the man is too occupied with Zuko to notice her running behind him. She whips out her metal coils and shoots them forwards, winding them around his neck. She yanks backwards, curling the two ends together to tighten around his neck. Ghazan wheezes, spluttering for breath as Lin continues to apply pressure. Once his eyes roll to the back of his head, she lets go and makes her way over to Zuko.

"We have to go," Lin says, eyeing the panting fire-bender with concern. "Can you walk?"

"I can do better than that," Zuko wheezes before bringing his fingers to his lips and whistling. Lin hears the familiar beating of Druk's wings as the dragon appears over the mountains and lands before them. They both climb on, leaving the others behind.

Lin stands atop Druk as they approach the island. She surveys the fighting to make out the burst of flame near the Western cliffs. "There," she says as she points to where Katara is standing in front of a collapsed Aang. "We have to help them."

Without waiting for a response, Lin sprints backwards and jumps off the dragon's back. She whips out her coils and latches them into one of the walls of the Air Temple before swinging forward in the direction of Xai Bau. While mid-air, Lin extends the metal in remaining arm to form the blade. She slams into the fire-bender's back before carving her blade into his spine. 

Xai Bau screams in pain as Lin slides the metal upwards, cleaving his chest as she digs the blade in deeper. Xai Bau reaches behind and ignites his fist in a fire dagger. Lin snarls as the flames burn through her armour. Once the grip on the blade loosens, Xai Bau turns and blasts fire in Lin's direction, knocking her backwards and into the cliffs. Xai Bau reels back ready to attack again. Lin scrambles to her feet and quickly dodges another fire blast before throwing out two boulders in his direction.

Just as Xai Bau is about to attack again, a tendril of water encapsulates his wrist. Lin watches as Xai Bau turns towards Katara, his face twisting in anger. The water-bender keeps her grip on him as she tosses him to the side violently. Lin takes the advantage to run behind their fighting and get to Aang. Katara is still fighting as she reaches the Avatar, relieved to see he is still breathing.

"You're going to be okay," Lin assures him as she looks up to see Tenzin flying in on his flying bison. "Tenzin and Oogie will take you out of here." Tenzin slides to his knees beside his father, guilt and worry filling his blue eyes.

"I called for reinforcements," he says as he helps his father to his feet, "Sokka and the White Lotus are on their way."

"Send them to the docks and gather the other defectors," Lin orders as she helps Tenzin get Aang on the bison. "I--"

Before she can finish her sentence, a bloodcurdling scream pierces the air. Lin whips her head around to see lightening zapping through Katara's water-tendril. Tenzin's eyes grow wide as Katara's entire frame convulses with the force of the shock. Lin kicks up a few boulders and throws it towards Xai Bau, severing the electric connection. Lin rushes forward to catch Katara's body. 

"Aang…," Katara breathes out, her eyes fluttering open and shut. "Save… save him…"

Lin clutches Katara's body closer to her chest as the water-bender falls unconscious. Lin's soul fills with a rage as she notices the deep, sizzling burns that mar Katara's body. She stands, leaving the water-bender aside and charging towards Xai Bau. The fire-bender glances up just in time to see Lin bending a rock formation around her fist before hammering it straight into his face.

"Lin, no! We need him alive!" Zuko calls out behind her as Lin continues to throw punches left and right. "Stop it, Lin!"

Xai Bau's face is a mangled mess by the time Lin is done, chest heaving and eyes bloodshot with adrenalin. She reaches for the metal inside his chest and hoists him up with it, the blade slipping further inside his chest and causing the blood to pool at his feet. Lin ignores Zuko's shouting as she pictures Aang's bruised face and Katara's burns. She shoves the blade in deeper.

"You… foolish… woman," Xai Bau chuckles, his teeth stained with blood as he rasps. "You will learn… soon enough…"

Lin slides the blade up in one smooth stroke, slicing through his lungs and heart in one go. Xai Bau's final breath leaves his body in a low whistle before he goes limp in Lin's arms. She can hear Zuko's gasp of surprise, but she doesn't pay attention to his stupor. Emotionlessly, she lets go of the man, letting him fall to the floor with a sickening thud as his head lolls sideways.

While Lin knows that having just killed a man with her own bare hands should terrify her, it only makes her stomach spin in satisfaction. She brushes past Zuko and looks towards Katara's motionless body. She makes her way over to the water-bender, her face twisting in concern. Katara's eyes flutter open halfway as she coughs, wincing as the pain radiates through her body.

"Don't worry," Lin murmurs as she gently picks the woman up in her arms. "I'll get you home safely."

Oogie floats closer to the ground, allowing Lin to pass the injured water-bender up towards her son. Tenzin looks devastated at the sight of his mother's burned body, but Lin gives him a strong nod, urging him to keep it together.

"Take her to Kya," Lin orders as she looks up at Tenzin. "Zuko and I are right behind you."

Not one to argue given the circumstances, Tenzin nods and sets his jaw determinedly as he flicks the reigns. Oogie jets off into the air and Lin sighs as she watches them until they disappear out of sight. Then, she turns around to gaze at Zuko.

"I won't apologize for what I did," Lin says coldly as she walks over to where he stands over Xai Bau's dead body. 

"We could have interrogated him," Zuko says, glancing up to Lin with an unreadable look. "Now we won't know what the defectors' true plans are. Not to mention, you've committed a capital offence. Murder is not the solution to this war."

"If this is to be a war, then causalities are to be expected," Lin says, "besides, he wouldn't talk even if we questioned him."

"And what makes you think that?" Zuko growls. Lin stares down at the corpse with a blank expression.

"The White Lotus are trained to keep secrets, even at the expense of their own demise. It is pertinent that they remain impervious to interrogation techniques, no matter the nature of them," Lin replies, sighing. "He would have wasted our time." Zuko remains quiet, digesting her words as they both gaze upon the mutilated body of the defector. With a quiet groan, Lin wraps her arms around her ribs and motions to where Druk is waiting, his big eyes staring and anticipating their next move.

"Come on," she tells the older man as she limps towards the dragon, "we need to get to the Southern Water Tribe."

* * * 

Lin waits in the healing hut, pulling her coat tighter around her body. 

She had already been seen by one of the secondary healers. Luckily the extent of her injuries are not severe. Three broken ribs and a fractured vertebrae were nothing compared to the amount of damage Xai Bau was able to inflict upon Katara and Aang. Beside her, Zuko sits in silence, his eyes focused on one spot on the floor. Beside him is Sokka, who flew down shortly after.

By the time the White Lotus had reached the docks, the defectors had vanished. Lin put that worry to the back of her mind, knowing full and well that her concern was on the safety and well-being of the two people behind those sliding doors. 

"I never thanked you," Sokka says, his voice raw as he fumbles with his hands. "For saving him at Future Industries."

Lin arches her brow, looking to the councilman with confusion. "That was so long ago," she says. "Why bring it up now?"

"Because Aang is my brother-in-law, but he's more like my brother. Knowing that he could have died that day…," Sokka trails off as he closes his eyes. "If you hadn't been there, I wouldn't have had an extra seven years with him."

"He's not dead yet," Lin says as she straightens her back, wincing at the sharp tug of pain. "Neither is Katara."

Sokka just nods, but doesn't reply back. He doesn't have to, because the doors to the hut slide open and out steps Kya.

"How are they?" Sokka asks, worried at the solemn look in Kya's eyes. Lin looks up at her former lover, the fire within her chest warming as she takes in her features. Kya's aged a bit in the last few years, but not enough to notice a difference. She has stress lines on her face, especially near her brows. Deep bags hang under her eyelids, and Lin can feel her exhaustion from miles away.

"Mom's okay," Kya says, taking a deep breath. "She'll have scars and her mobility won't be as good for awhile, but she'll be fine."

"And Aang?" Zuko pipes up as he stands, his voice cracking on his friend's name. Kya looks down, defeated.

"He's alive," Kya whispers, "but he's not great. I don't think he'll be able to fight again. His heart is weakened. If he exerts himself, even by just flying on his glider, he could have a heart attack." Lin takes the news with a punch to the gut, her eyes hardening.

"I'm sorry," Lin says as she stands up slowly. "If we had gotten there in time, we could have--"

"I have to get back to the healers," Kya replies, avoiding Lin's gaze. "Thank you… for bringing them to me."

Lin feels her throat close up as Kya turns her back and disappears into the hut without another word.

* * * 

A few days later, Lin finds Kya standing by the railing, gazing out at the sun setting over the calm tundra plains.

"You haven't said a word to me since I got here," Lin says, coming to stand beside her former lover. "Did… Did I mess up?"

The words are uttered with more vulnerability and fear than Lin would have liked, but she can't hold back the emotion when it comes to Kya. The water-bender flinches at the question as she turns her head to look at Lin with a saddened gaze.

"No," Kya whispers, looking down. "I just… I'm scared."

Lin nods, swallowing thickly. "Aang will be okay--"

"No," Kya says, shaking her head. "I'm not scared about Dad or Mom. I'm… I'm scared for you."

"Why me?" Lin asks, confused. "I'm okay. I'm safe--"

"But for how long?" Kya asks, her head snapping up as it fills with tears. "How long before _you're_ in those huts and I can't save you? How long before _I_ have to say goodbye? You saved Dad and Mom twice, but you won't always be so lucky next time, Lin."

"I…," Lin trails off, trying to digest the words. "I don't know what to say."

"It's not your fault," Kya sighs as she turns back to look at the tundra. "I just… I have been thinking a lot."

"About what?" Lin asks, afraid of the answer. Kya turns back to face her, eyes drifting to her lips and then back up.

"About what I want in life…," Kya murmurs, her eyes misting. "And I've realized, you were right."

Lin frowns, still confused. Kya chuckles sadly, reaching down to hold both of Lin's gloved hands in her own. Lin shivers as Kya gently takes them off so their skin can touch. The air is frigid, but Kya's skin is warm and comforting. Lin closes her eyes as she leans forward, pressing her lips to Kya's. The two of them linger in the kiss for a few moments, before Kya reluctantly pulls away.

"Lin," she whispers sadly, and Lin can't take the broken tone. "I… I can't."

"You can't what?" Lin asks, pleading for this not to be true. "I'll visit more often. I'll write more, I'll send flowers--"

"Lin stop," Kya interrupts, placing a trembling finger on Lin's chapped lips. "I'm resigning as Chief. I… I realized that being a leader wasn't something I could do. I'm leaving with another water-bender, Nila." The gravity of the words hits Lin hard.

"You…," Lin chokes out, frowning as the realization sinks in. "You're leaving."

"I have to," Kya whispers as she folds her arms around Lin's stiff shoulders and places her head in the crook of the metal-bender's neck. "I have to see what the world has for me. I… I need to find my destiny. It's not here. It's not…"

_It's not with you._

Lin gulps, trying to swallow the pit lodged in her throat as she pulls away from Kya. The tears she had expected to come do not fall. Instead, that familiar mask falls over her face, and Lin draws up the only armour she has ever known to hold her sadness back. Kya notices the shift and lets out a whimper, but Lin shakes her head. She steps back a hard look passing over her eyes.

"I wish you luck, then." Lin puts her gloves back on and moves to turn, when Kya's hand reaches for her arm.

"It wasn't you," Kya tells her, tears dripping down her cheeks. "I love you, Lin. But I don't think… I don't think it's is our time."

Lin gently removes her arm from Kya's grasp. She turns around, but pauses and looks over her shoulder one last time.

"Goodbye Kya," Lin says with a curt nod, her voice emotionless. "I hope you find what you are looking for." 

* * *

Aang recovers, but he is not the same as he once was.

"I think old age is catching up with me," he chuckles sadly as Lin helps him settle onto his chair. "This is rough."

They came back to Air Temple Island a few weeks ago, once Aang was cleared to travel and Katara's burns had healed enough for her to walk. Kya was there to see them off, but Lin barely said a word to her as the two parted ways for the second time in their life. Lin remembered cornering herself away on the boat, choosing isolation over interaction until they reached back home.

"I've missed sparring with you," Lin says as she brings him some tea. "Never thought I would be able to take down the Avatar."

"Hey, I wasn't in my prime when we would bend," Aang protests with a teasing smirk. "When I took down Ozai, then you should have seen me. I would have taken a whelp such as yourself in a heartbeat." Lin rolls her eyes good-naturedly.

"Sure, old man. I'll just have to bank on that," Lin replies, reaching for a blanket to drape over Aang's lap. 

"He's full of stories but I don't think he's really as good as he thinks he is," Tenzin interrupts as he walks into the room, sending Lin a wink as he takes a seat beside his father. "Anyways, we all know that Lin is the best earth-bender in Republic City."

"You'd even give your mother a run for her money," Aang jokes as he lets the steam of the tea warm his chin. Lin looks down at her lap as he continues to say, "I remember when you used to spar with her as a teenager. There were several times you were able to knock her down, which is impressive considering I can only win against her in the Avatar state." Lin stays quiet, expecting Aang to be finished talking, but then the older man just coughs and clears his throat, sipping at the tea slowly.

"Your mother… she is an incredible human being," Aang continues to say, his voice taking on a sadder tone. "I know that you only knew her as your mother, but she was a loyal friend. She cared deeply about everyone around her, and while she wasn't raised in the greatest environment, she still found a way to be affectionate. Granted, she showed it by punching people, but I suppose that happens when you're trying to live up to the tough girl image." Aang laughs to himself, shaking his head.

"She had something inside of her that you would never find in anyone else," Aang says, turning to look at Lin with a nostalgic expression. "One day, I hope you get to know the side of her that I did. Once you do, you'll realize just how special she is."

A tear slides down Lin's cheek as she looks away, unable to reply to the Avatar's sage advice. 

"I should probably go," Lin says as she stands, wiping away the lone tear. "Call if you need anything, Aang."

She doesn't wait to hear his reply as she moves towards the door. Her emotions flicker beneath the surface of the walls she's built, threatening to break free. Even though she would never admit it out loud, Lin missed Toph. She missed Suyin, too. No matter how many years she had been trying to forget them, Lin is sure that she couldn't. They were her family, no matter what.

"Hey!" Lin stops, turning at the sound of Tenzin's voice. "Wait up, Lin!"

"What do you want, Tenzin?" Lin asks, though there's no malice in her voice. Tenzin rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I'm sorry about Dad," he says, "I know that Toph is a rough subject and I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, but I figured that you should know that he doesn't mean it in a bad way. Mom says that he's going through a reflective period of time. Something about making peace with his past and stuff." Tenzin's voice croaks as he looks away. "I think… you know… he's…"

"Aang is a fighter," Lin assures him, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. "Don't worry about him, Tenzin."

"It's just… when he goes I'll be the last air-bender," Tenzin whispers, wiping a tear away. "I don't really know what to do without him, Lin. I know that he's still alive and he's happy, but for how long? If we get attacked again--"

"Hey," Lin says as she interrupts him. "I won't let anything happen to him. I promise."

"I know," Tenzin says, smiling as he takes a deep breath. "You're an amazing police chief, and an even better friend. I trust you with my life. Not to mention my family's life. But you probably already know that, since you've saved us a million times." Lin's lips turn up in a faint smile as Tenzin blushes, before he clears his throat and straightens his back.

"Anyways," he says as he clasps his hands behind his back, "I just want to say thanks again. And get home safely."

"Thanks, Tenzin. I appreciate it," Lin tells him. "I'll talk to you later. Just… don't worry about your dad so much, yeah?" 

Tenzin nods as Lin turns away and heads down the path, back towards her boat.

* * * 

As the next few years pass, Tenzin and Lin grow closer.

As a newly elected councilman, Tenzin spent more time talking with Lin about different cases and by-laws that would come into effect. They worked together to draft bills and create legislature to better improve the safety and cleanliness of the city. Sometimes they would work late into the night, passing ideas back and forth until the sun would rise over the rooftops.

Eventually, Tenzin musters up the courage to ask her out one day, and Lin doesn't have the heart to turn him down.

In her visions, she always thought herself to be with Kya. She considered the endgame to be her and her free-spirited water-bender until their last breath. But, as the days crept into months, which then evolved into years, Lin lost hope in Kya's love. She'd not heard from the water-bender since they had last met following Xai Bau's attack. So, Lin did what she knows best.

She forced herself to forget, to move on, and to live her life in the present.

Initially, she had thought that she would just go on the date and then would come up with an excuse to explain how she lost interest, or was too busy, but she never had to. Lin finds herself enjoying the air-bender's company as he recounts some frustrating tales about working with the other councilman, or saying that he finds it impossible to get anything done with all the arguing. He's funny, down-to-earth, and serious enough that Lin doesn't find herself feeling annoyed with his rambling.

In fact, she kind of likes it.

Tenzin provides a balance in her from the work and the stress. He reminds her to eat, to drink, and to take care of herself. One time, when she had been brought down by a nasty flu, Tenzin came and offered her a retched air-bender remedy. It had tasted like the inside of a sewer, but the symptoms went away within the following days. 

So, when Tenzin asks her out on a second date, she doesn't say no.

Neither she does on the third, the fourth, or even the fifth.

And when Tenzin asks her--under the pale light of the moon--to be his girlfriend, Lin says yes.

* * *

Lin and Tenzin end up dating for four years before they move in together.

While they initially fought about which house to stay at, Tenzin ultimately folded and agreed to staying with Lin in her apartment near the city. They both visited the Air Temple occasionally to visit Aang and Katara. At first, it was a transition. Lin was used to living by herself, with no accessories or frills. She had a stove, a fridge, a couch, and a dining table. But, Tenzin, used to the nomadic lifestyle, quickly adjusted to the differences and they worked out their problems. 

It all seemed perfect. 

Until one day, it isn't.

* * *

Months later, as their work becomes more hectic and they're home less and less, Lin even feels them begin to drift.

Some days, they come home and they don't see each other.

Other days, they come home and they fight.

Usually it's Tenzin who initiates the arguments, and the topics of choice are usually to do with Lin's work relationship. She knows that she is a workaholic, but she can't help it. Twenty-four seven people are calling in, reporting crimes, filing reports, and Lin has to keep herself busy or else it all piles up. Deep down, Lin is aware this is just her way of distracting herself from the present. Tenzin is a wonderful boyfriend, but Lin still has trust and abandonment issues, and she can't always let him in.

And when they're home alone, it leaves an opportunity for them to talk.

But Lin knows just as well, that talking never was her strong point.

Eventually, Tenzin gives up trying to get through to her. He spends most of his time at Air Temple Island, training the acolytes with his father on the air-bending ways. Other days, he works late with the council, but not with Lin. Instead, Lin finds herself taking on extra shifts and cases, until her schedule is so overbooked she barely has an hour for a break. Luan tries to convince her to delegate, but Lin shoves him away saying that she can take care of it. She has to, because she is the chief of police.

But really, Lin knows, she takes on everything so she doesn't have to come home to nothing. 

Tenzin keeps asking her what she wants with her life, what she wants with him, and she can't tell him the answer.

It's not because she doesn't love him--she does, but in a different way.

It's not an all-consuming love. It's not a passionate, self-sacrificial love filled with twists and turns.

No, her love for Tenzin is more calm, muted. It's based on security and comfort, of safety and warmth.

But, Lin realizes as she looks to him each night when he thinks she's asleep, the spark is fading.

And soon, she knows there will be nothing left.

* * * 

When Tenzin introduces her to Pema, a new acolyte, Lin can't stop the sinking feeling that this is the beginning of the end.

Pema is everything that Lin is not. She's kind and sweet, with the temperament of a baby bison instead of charging rhino. Lin is a bull in a china shop and Pema is a dancer. Lin is brash and angry and loud and Pema is soft and gentle and quiet. She giggles at almost everything that Tenzin says, and while Lin can't bear to listen to that sound, it's harder watching Tenzin's reaction.

He beams at every word she says, and whenever she talks, his attention is delved only on her. It pains Lin to think of a time when Tenzin used to look at her the way he looks at Pema. It reminds her of all the insecurities she holds under her belt, all the things her mother has planted in her brain. She looks at Pema and compares her own self-worth, and she doesn't like the answers. 

One day, Tenzin invites her to their house for dinner, and the entire time they eat, Lin feels she hardly exists.

She knows, but she won't admit it, because she had just gotten used to not being so alone.

So Lin just puts herself through more work and ignores her reality.

 _He loves me,_ she'll try to convince herself when she can't sleep at night, _he loves me… he loves me…_

But does _she_ love _him_?

That's a question that Lin never finds herself strong enough to answer.

When Tenzin turns over, his eyes quietly searching her own in confusion as to why she's still awake, Lin doesn't speak. Instead, she rolls over and straddles him, leaning down to kiss him. She feels her boyfriend respond, and it just thickens the guilty feeling in her gut as she breaks their kiss to look him in the eye. She desperately searches for something, a sign that he's still with her, but when she sees the blank gaze, Lin's heart splinters. Instead of rolling off of him, she pries of her shirt and leans back down.

"I want you," she whispers into his ear as she reaches between them to hold his length. "I need you."

After a few patient tugs, Tenzin starts to respond fully, his hips jerking up and his chest puffing as Lin slips aside her panties and slowly slides him in. She's not wet, not even barely, so the intrusion stings. But Lin doesn't care. She welcomes the pain. She enjoys the sensation of feeling something other than heartbreak. She lifts her hips and then lowers them again, finding a pattern.

Their love-making was always methodical, but this just seems… cruel.

Lin doesn't kiss him, and Tenzin doesn't do much other than to aid her thrusts with the odd jerk of his hips. Lin hates the way it feels, knowing that neither of them are interested, but she can't accept the cold, bitter truth of reality. She just wants one moment. She wants one moment to feel like they're alright, that they're happy and in love and will live together forever.

But as Tenzin releases with a soft, unenthusiastic grunt, Lin just collapses against his chest in defeat.

She doesn't cry, no.

Lin Beifong doesn't cry anymore.

* * *

"I don't think this is working," Tenzin says as he walks into her office weeks later. "We can't go on like this, Lin."

It's so abrupt, so unsuspected, that Lin is caught blindsided. Granted, she always knew this day was coming, but not like this. She had expected Tenzin to let her down gently, to convince her that he loved her but that he wasn't ready to take it seriously. She expected something professional maybe, like sitting over a cup of tea and working it out so they could still be platonic. A sickening feeling swirls in her gut as she takes in his defeated expression, and the trace of something akin to guilt in his eyes.

Of all things, Lin doesn't expect _this_.

She goes to answer, but the nausea in her gut suddenly takes over, and she reaches for her trashcan before it all comes out. 

"Lin?" Tenzin asks, bewildered. Lin shakes her head before retching again. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I think I ate something bad last night," Lin groans as she wipes her mouth. "Sorry about that."

"Maybe we should talk later," Tenzin suggests, eyeing her worriedly. "I should take you home, let you rest."

"I'm fine," Lin snaps as she quells another wave of nausea. "Let's not draw this out Tenzin."

"I…," Tenzin trails off, his eyes looking to the floor. "I think… it's not working anymore."

"So that's it then?" Lin asks, her throat catching on the pit stuck there. "You want to end it all, after almost five years?"

"Don't you?" Tenzin asks back, his voice curious and sad. There's no anger or hurt, and Lin can't help but notice the solemn defeat in his blue eyes. She is about to answer when the phone rings. Tenzin looks to her and then the device, waiting.

Lin sighs and reaches for the phone, guiltily looking away from her boyfriend. "Chief Beifong."

"Chief, we have a triple homicide on the corner of Lua Road and Wong Shi Tong Boulevard." 

Lin hangs her head, gulping down the bubbling nausea in her stomach. "I'll be there in a few minutes, just hold on."

"I suppose you have to go," Tenzin says coldly. "Per usual."

"I have a job that I can't take a break from," Lin grumbles as she straightens her back and wipes her brow. "I have to go."

"At least let me come with you," Tenzin says, always the compassionate one. "You look pale and I know that even if I tell you to stay home, you will ignore me and leave anyways. The least I can do is make sure you are okay."

"You're saying that after bursting into my office wanting to break up with me?" Lin snorts, arching her brow. "Classic."

"Ugh," Tenzin mutters as Lin throws on her armour. "Let's just get this over with… and then we can talk."

* * *

The sight of the murder is horrific.

A woman and her two children lay dead in their house, their stomachs slashed and leaking blood onto the carpet. Lin, usually impervious to the stench of rotting flesh and maggots, finds herself gagging. She rushes from the room and to the street, vomiting as she struggles to control herself. Her officers avoid looking at her, but she catches a few of them staring.

"What are you standing around here for?!" Lin demands as she spits, wiping her mouth. "Get back to work!"

"Yes, Chief." 

"Lin," Tenzin says as he joins her outside, looking worried. "I don't think you should be here. You don't look so good."

"I said I'm fine!" Lin snaps as she shoves him away. "If you don't want to be here, then I suggest you leave."

Just as Tenzin goes to reply, a flash of grey streaks pasts them, knocking the two into the wall. Lin rubs her head, clearing the dizzying fog from her eyes as she makes out the figure running away. 

"That's him!" One of the witnesses says. "He's the one who murdered my family and stole my belongings."

Lin sprints after the man, knowing fully well that Tenzin is on his air-wheel behind her. "You take the east road, I'll take the north and we'll cut him off at the intersection. Go!" Tenzin nods and speeds off as Lin pumps her arms faster. She throws her coils up at the roof of a building and swings her body forward until she's running alongside the criminal. 

The man takes an extreme left, jumping and sliding over a truck before leaping into an alley. Lin follows, scaling the wall as she follows in pursuit. Her lungs burn as she skids around the corner, keeping her eye on the target. He quickly parkours his way up to the roof, jumping from box to box until he's on the building. Lin raises her hands and extends a block to push her upwards, sending her soaring through the air and towards the rooftops where the man is running. She lands with a somersault before continuing to sprint after him. She can make out Tenzin's air-wheel on the street beside her and knows that he won't make it.

Pushing herself faster, Lin leaps over the rooftop and shoves out her hand, sending her coils spinning in the direction of the man. She wraps the length around his ankle and tugs. Unfortunately, he resists, but since still attached, the force of the motion sends them both tumbling off the roof and to the ground. Lin groans but tugs again, preventing the man from leaving.

"You're… under arrest…," she pants, feeling black spots feed in and out of her eyes. "You're…"

The last thing she hears before she passes out is Tenzin's concerned voice calling her name.

* * * 

Lin wakes up to a pounding headache and a sore throat.

"Ugh," she grumbles as she turns her head to the side and reaches for a glass of water. She sips slowly, still feeling the bubbling nausea unsettling her stomach. She sets the water aside and sits up, rubbing at her forehead to try and ease the pain.

"Oh good, you're awake."

Lin blinks to see Katara standing in the doorway, a troubled yet relieved expression on her face.

"Why am I here?" Lin asks, rubbing her throat. "I… I was chasing the murderer…"

"You passed out," Katara says as she steps into the room before taking a seat. "Tenzin brought you here."

"Well," Lin grumbles as she reaches for the sheets. "I'm fine now so I'll head home. Maybe just sleep this off."

Katara flinches and Lin arches her brow, confused. "What's wrong, Katara?"

"Lin," Katara says, taking her hand in her own. "You're pregnant."

Lin's first reaction is to laugh, because it is a hilarious joke. Her? Pregnant? The daughter of the great Toph Beifong--also known as the worst parent to frequent the earth--is having her own child? Lin wipes her eyes, chuckling. Fat chance of that happening.

"Good one, Katara. You almost had me there," Lin says, shaking her head. "For a second I thought you were serious."

"I am," Katara says, tears welling in her eyes. "I… I don't know how else to say it, Lin."

Lin stops laughing and takes in Katara's serious expression. She feels the pit grow in her stomach as she looks to her hands on her lap. She furrows her brow, confused. All those times, they had been so careful to use protection… except their last night…

"Dammit," Lin snarls at herself as she shakes her head. "How could I have been so stupid?!"

"Lin," Katara hums her name, "whatever decision you want to make, just know… I support you."

"Decision?" Lin echoes, her mind fogging. "You mean like… if I want to keep it or not?"

Katara nods, looking down. "I know that this is a surprise to you, and it will be to Tenzin too, but if there is a chance that this child carries the air-bending gene… regardless, it doesn't matter. It is your body, and you will carry the child, Lin."

Lin sits quietly for a moment, simply taking in the information in segments. She could be carrying the next air-bender?

"Tenzin wanted to break up with me," Lin whispers, trying to figure out the best solution. "This baby… I don't know what to do."

"I haven't told him yet," Katara says softly, "I thought to leave that to you, if you wanted to or not."

Lin nods, looking to her hands as she contemplates her choices. She looks up, sighing. "Can… can you send him in here?"

Katara nods and sniffles as she stands. She goes to turn towards the door when she suddenly pauses, turning around.

"You know, I was the one who was there when your mother was pregnant," Katara says as she looks back to Lin with a sympathetic expression. "She was so worried that she wouldn't be a good mother, but I convinced her to try."

Lin grits her teeth, tears misting in her eyes as Katara hangs her head and murmurs, "Toph wasn't ready for a child, but I pushed her towards the idea. In hindsight, I know that she ended up bringing to this world a beautiful, strong, young woman. But, it costed her, too. Your mother was in love with her job, and when she became a parent, she didn't know how to balance her life."

Tears drip down Lin's cheeks as Katara looks up, misty-eyed and bittersweet. "But she told me, before she left, that if she had to turn back time and do it all over again, she wouldn't change a thing. She loved you, Lin, even if she didn't show it. While that doesn't excuse her behaviour and the pain and anguish she put you through, I know it has to count for something."

"My mother never wanted me," Lin rasps, looking away as tears continue to flow down her cheeks. "If… If I had a kid, I would hate myself if I ever let them feel the way she made me feel. I don't know if I'm ready for a child. I need to talk to Tenzin."

Katara nods, wiping away her tears and turning back towards the door. She lingers a moment before entering the hall.

When she's gone, Lin hangs her head, wondering how she could get herself into such a mess.

* * * 

"What do you want to do?"

Lin looks to Tenzin, waiting for an answer from the man. Lin had painfully explained everything, and Tenzin had remained quiet throughout the entire affair. In fact, Lin has never seen the air-bender this contemplative and serious before, and it scares her.

"What do _you_ want to do?" Tenzin asks, finally breaking the silence. Lin bites her lip.

"I don't know," she says as she looks to her stomach. "I… I don't know if I want kids."

"This child could be an air-bender," Tenzin says, avoiding her gaze. "I could bring back the Air Nation."

"They could also end up an earth-bender," Lin cautiously reminds him. "There's a fifty-fifty shot, Tenzin."

"Are we ready to parent a child?" Tenzin asks, his voice catching. "Moments ago we were about to break up, Lin."

"Maybe…," Lin stumbles on the words, desperate now as she glances up, "maybe this child is what will mend our relationship."

It's a desperate thought, but Lin can't stop herself from saying it.

Tenzin stays quiet as he lets the words digest, before finally murmuring, "you really believe that?"

"I don't know," Lin mutters, "I mean… this kid… they could be something. It could be a chance to start over."

"Even if we don't stay together, we would still raise them together," Tenzin tells her, reaching out to hold her hand in his own. "Despite our arguing and falling out, I love you, Lin. I would be honoured to father your child… _our_ child."

Lin looks to their hands and sighs, shaking her head. "I need to think about it."

Tenzin nods, removing their hands as he stands. "Of course. Just… know that I'm here for you, whatever you choose."

* * * 

Lin knows it's a bad idea, but the more she rubs her hands over stomach, the more she falls in love with the idea of a child.

To nurture and love, to give them a life she never experienced, to be a real mother…

Lin knows that this isn't the end-all-be-all, and it won't solve all of her unresolved problems, but as she stares down at the smooth skin of her stomach, thinking about the possibilities of a growing life within her, she knows she cannot shut it down.

That night, she calls Katara, Aang, and Tenzin together for a meeting.

"I'm keeping the baby," Lin says as she looks to Tenzin with hope. "We'll raise them together, even if we don't work out."

"Congratulations," Aang beams as he stumbles upwards, leaning on Katara for support as he wraps her in a hug. "We're here for you, every step of the way." He looks down to her flat stomach and then back to Tenzin, tears in his eyes as he laughs.

"I'm going to be a grandfather!" He beams excitedly, tears flowing down his cheeks. "The world is always full of surprises."

Lin lets herself get lost in their excitement, watching as they all come and hug her, congratulate her. Even Pema, though reserved and slightly cold, gives her a hug and wishes her the best. Lin takes it all in, trying to fill the void in her chest, but the comfort only lasts a few moments before the darkness settles again. She looks up to Aang, noting the difference in his complexion.

When Aang gives her a knowing, bittersweet nod, Lin feels dread settle within the gaps of her heart.

They hold their gaze for a moment, and disturbingly enough, Lin knows what's to come.

Aang shakes his head, and mouthes only two words to her before his lips turn up into a sad smile.

_Be strong._

* * *

The next time she wakes up, it's to the sound of Katara's anguished sobs from across the hall.

On that cold winter morning, Lin and Tenzin rush to find her crying over Aang's motionless body.

The great Avatar Aang is dead.

* * * 

Lin sits beside Tenzin on the ship sailing towards the Southern Water Tribe. 

They don't speak, there are no words to describe such a loss. Tenzin and Lin both held a vigil with Katara, willing for his spirit to pass safely into the great beyond. Sokka had stayed with them for part of it, before he left to prepare for the journey to the South Pole. He had taken the time to notify the White Lotus, and members had already begun searching for the new Avatar. Zuko, Izumi, and Toph were all sent notifications, but only the former two responded, sending their condolences and confirmation for the ceremony. Tenzin had to send the letter to her mother, mostly because Lin couldn't bring herself to do it. She didn't know where Suyin was, so she wrote to the last place where she had messaged from, hoping it would reach her sister in time. 

Lin glances over to Katara and Sokka, both sitting silently side by side, with Aang's casket between them. Katara hadn't left her husband's side since he'd passed, and Lin could hardly blame her. The love that the Avatar and the wife had shared was one of fairytales, and it had always left her feeling envious that she couldn't experience the same thing. Her mother rarely talked about her father, only that Lin was much like him in terms of personality. For years she speculated who it could have been, but as the years passed, Lin learned to recognize that sometimes ignorance can be bliss. 

"Kya's coming," Tenzin says, breaking the silence with a hoarse rasp. "Bumi tracked her down. They're coming together."

Lin nods, her heart aching for her former lover. "How… is she?"

"Devastated," Tenzin whispers, hanging his head. "She feels guilty that she wasn't there. Bumi, too."

"I'm sorry," Lin says softly, reaching out to hold his head. "I wish he had more time… so they could've said goodbye."

"Fate works in mysterious ways," Tenzin mumbles, looking down to their hands. "The day I come to break up with you is the day I find out you're pregnant. The day after, my father passes away." He looks back up, eyes glazed and red from crying.

"It has to be a sign, right?" Tenzin croaks, sniffling. "This all has to be the universe telling us something."

"I don't know," Lin replies, looking away guiltily. "If it is… it's a pretty fucked up sign."

"But at least it would have meaning," Tenzin says, his voice lowering in defeat. "At least, it would not all be in vain."

Lin doesn't reply, because even she doesn't know the answer.

She just looks to Aang's body and closes her eyes, wishing he could be there to offer guidance.

* * *

They call everyone for Aang's funeral a few days later.

Zuko and Izumi greet her first. She doesn't cry when Izumi wraps her arms around her and pulls her in for a hug, nor does she cry when Zuko places his hand in her hair and embraces her. She sees him look her over, his gaze concerned and solemn, but Lin doesn't have the heart to tell him how she's feeling. But, she doesn't have to, because Zuko knows--somehow, Zuko _always_ knows, because he offers her a quiet condolence, and tells her that he will be around later to talk if she needed to.

A few of Aang's old friends greet her next. Among them are some of the Kiyoshi warriors and some of the villagers he'd helped during his service in the Great War. She greets them all politely, but doesn't linger much on the conversation. They seem nice, and she can see how Aang had taken a liking to them. A few are from the Fire Nation and some from the Water Tribe, too.

Slowly, the rest of the guests start flowing in, and Lin loses track of who's who, until she spots familiar blue eyes.

"Kya," Lin breathes out as the water-bender comes closer. Kya's eyes are heavy with sorrow, and within seconds she collapses into Lin's chest. Immediately, Lin wraps her arms around the water-bender, feeling her eyes water as she holds the other woman close. "I'm sorry," she whispers into her ear, her voice threatening to crack. "Oh Spirits, Kya, I'm so sorry…"

They hold each other like that for a moment before Tenzin comes out to join them. Kya pulls him into a hug, one which Bumi eventually joins, too. Lin stares at them from the side, her heart suddenly longing for her sister. It's been years since they'd last seen each other, and Lin feels that ache of betrayal burn hotter within her chest when she notices Suyin's absence.

"Well, if this isn't morbidly depressing."

Lin looks up to see Toph standing there, dressed in her ceremonial Earth Kingdom outfit. A sharp pain stabs at her heart as she notices the difference in her mother, from her greying hair to her slouched back. Her eyes have bags lining them, and Lin feels the emptiness and longing ebbing off of her in waves. She can sense the guilt, the frustration, and the loss in Toph's aura.

"Don't just stand there, kid. Say something," Toph tries to joke, but it comes out more hoarsely than she'd intended. Lin doesn't move, she can't move, because all she sees is the disappointed glare on her mother's face the day before she disappeared.

"Toph," Zuko's warm voice luckily intervenes, "I'm glad that you came."

"I'm sorry that I'm here," Toph replies, snorting as she hangs her head. "If I'd known Twinkletoes wasn't feeling well, I'd have come to visit earlier." Suddenly, a deep anger swells inside of Lin and she can't help herself as she steps forward.

"Is that right?" She snarls, her fists clenching as she steps into her mother's space, towering over her. "It's funny, because in the last ten years you haven't come anywhere near Republic City, nor have you sent a letter asking about any of us. Just like always, you're not here because you're guilty or sad, you're here because you want to save face like usual--"

"Lin," Kya's scolding voice burns from behind her. "That's enough."

"No," Lin growls as she shoves a finger into mother's chest, tears burning in her eyes now. "You don't get it, do you? You were never there when we needed you. All those years, all those threats, and you were never there to face them. You're a _coward_."

"Lin," Kya pleads now as she reaches out to tug on the metal-bender's arm. "Please… not today."

The devastating crack in Kya's voice is what brings Lin out of her fury-filled state. She feels an overwhelming sadness wash over her as she makes out the defeat in Toph's gaze. Lin just drops her hand and turns her head away, unsure of what to say. Instead, she looks to Kya, to see the grief pooling in those beautiful blue eyes. Something in Lin's chest softens, and she slowly nods.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, giving Kya's hand a faint squeeze. Kya nods, a sorrowful understanding in her gaze as she gently lets go of the metal-bender. Lin looks to the ground, gathering herself before she takes a deep breath and walks past Kya.

No one protests as Lin walks towards the cliffside with tears slowly sliding down her cheeks.

* * * 

Lin stares at the lapping water of the ocean atop the cliff. She's sitting cross-legged, staring over the edge as she digests her thoughts. She knows the funeral is tomorrow, but seeing her mother has thrown her for a loop she had not expected.

She doesn't know what to feel, anger or guilt.

Anger for her mother showing up unannounced, or guilt for expecting her to not show up at all.

At this point, Lin thinks it is a bit of both.

"You cannot hold resentment over her forever."

Lin turns her head at the sound of a familiar voice, only to gasp in shock.

"A-Aang?" She breathes out as she quickly stands, "but you're…"

"Do not mistake my body for reality," Aang wisely says as he steps closer. "I may be gone, but my spirit still exists."

"I'm sorry," Lin croaks as she feels tears sliding down her cheeks again, "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

"You have done more for me than you could possibly imagine, Lin." Aang's voice is warm and proud as he places both hands on her shoulders. For a moment, Lin believes that she can feel his touch, that his comfort slips through her worn skin and into her soul. Aang looks deep into her eyes, his soulful grey-blue eyes lightening as he sighs.

"I had known, for some time, that things were not well," he explains, taking his hands away. "But I didn't want to worry my family. I wanted the last moments I would share with them to be of happiness and joy. And you gave me the greatest gift of all." Aang's gaze drifts to her stomach, and then back up as he smiles. "I know you must feel scared, Lin, but you are not alone."

"You're dead," Lin bitterly sniffles, "I… I…"

"My time serving has come to an end," Aang wisely says as he looks to the tundra, "but my spirit is not dead yet, no."

Lin follows his gaze as Aang closes his eyes and breathes in. He smiles again, bittersweet and knowing as he looks down to her. Lin swallows as Aang steps back, wrapping his cloak around his shoulders as he steps back, bowing his head in respect.

"Do not be afraid Lin," Aang murmurs as his body begins to fade into the blowing snow. "A great change is coming."

"What does that mean?" Lin asks, wiping her eyes as Aang straightens his back. "Don't… Don't leave me! Please."

"Remember, Lin. You are not alone," Aang whispers as his body drifts away. "Do not forget that."

And then, as Aang offers her one final smile, he disappears into the light.

* * * 

They give the Avatar a traditional air-bender funeral.

Lin stands at the front with Katara, Kya, Bumi, and Sokka. On any other day, she would feel out of place, but Aang's children understand that he was as much of her father as he was theirs. Kya and Tenzin stand on either side of her, their arms brushing her own as Aang's casket is lifted onto the small pyre. His casket is covered with flowers and ceremonial air-bender robes. If it wasn't for the fact the great Avatar was dead, Lin would have thought the entire thing to be poignantly beautiful.

But Aang is dead and now Lin isn't quite sure what to feel.

"May your spirit carry free," Tenzin says from beside her, "may you find peace in the afterlife."

His voice cracks and Lin burrows her head into his shoulder as he whispers, "and may you love, for an eternity."

The people around them take a moment of silence as Zuko reaches for his Tsungi horn, playing a low melodic tune. The sounds wave over everyone, and Lin finds herself tucking her head into Tenzin's neck, seeking his comfort. It takes a few moments, but sure enough, the air-bender's arms wrap around her shoulders and tug her close. His own tears slide down his cheeks.

Behind her, she feels Kya's hand slip into her own. 

Lin turns her head to see the water-bender gazing at her with sadness and remorse.

She looks to their clasped hands and doesn't find the heart to let go. Kya just inches closer and Lin winds her arm around the younger woman. Izumi joins Kya's side, wrapping her arms around the both of them as they listen to the final notes of the tune. Bumi eventually comes to join up next to Tenzin. The children of the Avatar and his closest confidants stand together in silence.

When Zuko finishes, he sets his horn down and stares into the pyre. 

Katara, Sokka, and Toph all walk up beside him, silent as they watch over their fallen friend. Katara is the first to reach for Zuko's hand, holding it lightly in her own shaking palm. Slowly, Sokka reaches for Katara's free hand, squaring his shoulders as tears flow down his cheeks. Finally, after some moments, Toph reaches for Sokka's hand, and Lin can feel her mother's sadness.

A moment later, Zuko extends his free hand and takes a breath, before he lights the wooden stack on fire.

He lowers his hand, finally allowing tears to flow down into his beard.

"Goodbye old friend," Zuko whispers, his voice strong and steady, proud and hopeful. "We will meet again soon."

* * * 

Eventually, most people filter out and return to their homes, but Lin stays.

So do Katara, Sokka, Zuko, Toph, Izumi, Kya, Tenzin, and Bumi.

They stay with Aang until the pyre is reduced to nothing, and the sun sets over the horizon.

* * *

Moments after the rubble has stopped burning, they all return back to the hut.

Lin doesn't speak to her mother. Her emotions are still raw, and she's feeling every ounce of betrayal and anger towards the woman who had abandoned not only her best friend, but both her daughters. She knows that if she speaks, the words she will say are not kind. Instead, she keeps her hands laced with Tenzin's, and her face tiredly hidden in his shoulder. Toph keeps sneaking glances at her, but Lin ignores them. She doesn't know what her mother wants, but she's not in the mood to find out.

"We should get some rest," Sokka eventually says as he reaches for Katara. "Come on."

Katara hesitates a moment before she takes his hand and allows the man to help him up. They both bid their good nights as they make their way down the hall and towards their rooms. Zuko and Izumi both retire, with Bumi and Toph following short after. Kya stays with the two of them, simply staring into the flames with a lost expression, and Lin wishes she could comfort her more.

"I forgot," Kya whispers, a light airy chuckle catching in her throat as she turns to them. "Congratulations."

Tenzin and Lin both look at each other, puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

Kya nods to Lin's stomach, her lips twisting upwards in a bittersweet smile. "The baby. Congratulations."

"We didn't tell anyone," Lin says as she looks to Tenzin. "No one besides Katara and Aang, anyways."

Kya flinches at the mention of her father, before she looks back to the fire. "I sensed it when we hugged. I never thought that I would see my little brother ever settling down for Republic City's no-nonsense chief of police. But… I guess it makes sense."

Tenzin blushes awkwardly and Lin feels her chest hurt as Kya turns to her, giving her a knowing smile. Her blue eyes are watery and mournful as she swallows thickly. "You'll make excellent parents," she whispers, glancing to Lin, "even if you have doubts."

"Thank you," Tenzin whispers as he winds his arm around Lin, "we appreciate the sentiment, Kya."

"Yeah," Kya says, sniffling as she slowly gets to her feet. "I'm gonna head to bed. It's been a long day. Make sure you two get some rest. Too much stress isn't good for the baby." Lin looks away when Kya glances at her with a heartfelt smile. 

"Goodnight, Kya. I love you," Tenzin says as he nods to her. "Sleep well. If there is anything you need, call us."

Kya just smiles half-heartedly, giving one last glance to Lin, before she turns back to her room and walks away. 

After sometime, Tenzin also rises to his feet. He offers Lin a hand, but the metal-bender shakes her head. 

"I'm going to stay out here a bit," Lin says as she looks to the fire. "I need to process."

Tenzin looks ready to argue, but thinks better of it as he nods and turns. He pauses, before he murmurs, "make sure you come to bed." Lin just nods, feeling the void within her chest expand with each step the man takes further and further from her.

He doesn't come out to check on her, and Lin ends up sitting, staring into the fire until dawn breaks.

* * * 

"You didn't sleep?"

Lin looks away from the dying embers to see Izumi pad into the room, wearing an expression of grief as she slowly takes a seat on the cushion beside Lin. The metal-bender swallows thickly, shaking her head as she glances back to the ashes.

"I couldn't," Lin says softly, "I… I miss him."

Izumi just nods, preferring to keep to silence instead of offering words of support. Lin is grateful for the older woman's quiet comfort. They both sit there for a few more moments, before Izumi gets up and fashions them both a glass of water.

"Thanks," Lin says as she takes the glass from Izumi's hand, downing it in one gulp. She plays with the rim before she glances over to the woman she'd not seen in several years. She takes in the small crown atop the neatly tied bun on her friend's head.

"You look good," Lin whispers, causing Izumi's head to turn to gaze at her. "Actually… you look like Zuko."

"Well, I am training to be the new Fire Lord," Izumi says with a sad chuckle. "I would suppose that I should look like Dad."

"I missed you," Lin says, swallowing back her sadness. "There wasn't anyone to be a pain in my ass anymore."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, everyone in the Fire Nation is super boring," Izumi offers with a slight smile. "I never really took for granted how lonely Dad's job is. But…," Izumi trails off for a moment before she smiles, "I kind of found someone."

Lin arches her brow, her lips turning up in a half-hearted smile. "Oh yeah? Finally managed to settle down?"

"Shut up," Izumi blushes as she shoves Lin. "Her name is Kinari. She's amazing. We've been together for almost two years now. She's the general of the Royal Guard." Lin smiles at the pride in Izumi's voice, happy that her friend has found love. Izumi swallows thickly for a moment, before she looks over to Lin, her amber eyes sparkling with joy and warmth.

"We… um…," Izumi stumbles over the words, "we actually eloped a few months ago. I guess you could say we're married."

Lin chuckles as she takes in the information. "Why would I expect anything less?"

"You know me," Izumi laughs as she shakes her head. "I'm always full of surprises."

"I'm happy for you," Lin says as she crosses her legs under her. "I'm sure she's really lucky."

"Actually, I'm the lucky one." Izumi's voice takes on a dreamy tone. "She's… she's incredible, Lin. I'm sure you'd love her."

"If I have time to come visit, I'm sure I'll meet her," Lin says as Izumi smiles at her. "I have to meet the legend of a woman who somehow managed to tame the great Fire Lord's promiscuous daughter. She really must be special if she got  _you_  to settle down."

At that, Izumi chuckles dryly, leaning over to lightly punch Lin in the arm. "Don't even go there, Lin."

Lin just chuckles, hanging her head as Izumi sighs nostalgically. They sit for a moment, before Izumi glances at her again.

"So…," she trails off awkwardly, "you and… Tenzin?"

Lin sighs as Izumi gazes at her in confusion. "I thought that you and Kya--"

"We couldn't make it work," Lin says, her voice low and hardened. "She had to move down here, and then she left for a bit. With my job the way it is and how infrequently we would see each other… I just… it wasn't our time. Maybe if I hadn't waited…"

Lin doesn't finish the sentence, and instead hangs her head to dejectedly mumble, "anyways, it just didn't work out."

"I'm sorry," Izumi whispers, looking away. "I know you guys loved each other. I was really rooting for you both, you know?"

Lin doesn't say anything as they return back to the tranquility. For a moment, Lin considers telling Izumi about her pregnancy, but thinks better of it as she hears the sounds of feet padding down the hallway from behind her.

"You didn't come to bed," Tenzin mumbles as he tiredly shuffles into the room. "I was worried about you."

"I'm fine," Lin says with a shrug. "It's just… hard to process that he's gone still."

"Yeah," Tenzin whispers back, his voice cracking as he takes a seat, looking away from Lin's troubled gaze. "It is."

* * * 

"So are you just going to ignore me the entire time I'm here?"

Lin ignores the familiar rasp of her mother's voice as she sips at her tea. She can sense Toph behind her, and despite the hardness of her voice, she knows that her mother seems almost almost about approaching her.

"Where's Su?" Lin asks instead, deciding not to answer Toph's question. "Last she wrote me, she was in Gaoling."

"I don't know," Toph mutters, looking away. "She visited me in Omashu when I was there years ago. She looked happy."

"At least one of us is," Lin snorts, shaking her head. "You didn't bother to tell her that Aang died?"

"I couldn't get a hold of her," Toph replies, her voice laden with guilt. "I'm not sure where she is. I just hope she's safe."

"That's rich, coming from you." Lin says with a chuckle, setting her tea down. She grips at the railing, desperately reeling in her emotions as she feels the resentment she has held for so many years coming back to hit her in the face. Toph sighs sadly.

"I am heading back to the Earth Kingdom today."

Lin looks up and watches Kya and Katara perform their morning water-bending exercises. The scratchy sound of her mother's voice drives a wedge into her gut, and Lin feels her anger burble to the surface. The proclamation doesn't seem apologetic at all.

"Good to know," Lin mutters gruffly, not turning to look in Toph's direction. "Have a safe trip."

Toph sighs, and Lin can feel the guilt radiating off her mother in waves. "Lin…," Toph says, "I just wanted to say--"

"I don't want to hear it," Lin growls as she turns on her feet, tears burning in her eyes. "You had years to say whatever you wanted to say, but you didn't. Don't expect me to listen at your whim just because you're suddenly ready to make amends."

"I'm sorry--"

"Stop," Lin snarls, her voice cracking as she closes her eyes. "Please… stop. I don't want to hear it, _Chief_."

Toph opens her mouth before closing it. She sighs and looks away. She's about to turn and leave when Lin finally speaks.

"You abandoned me," Lin whispers, her eyes still closed. "You made me feel as though everything I did was for nothing. You forced me to raise my little sister while you got drunk. You put these gnawing insecurities in my head, convinced me that I was a disappointment, that I was useless, pathetic, and weak. You and Su tore our family apart and then set the blame on _me_."

Toph's spine stiffens and she emits a soft, painful gasp. But, Lin ignores the sound and shakes her head.

"So no," Lin growls as she opens her eyes to glare at her mother. "I don't want your apology."

Toph's throat bobs as Lin steps forward, tears burning in her eyes as she croaks, "I don't want _you_."

It takes a moment before Toph hangs her head in shame and whispers, "I understand."

Lin's head snaps back as her mother accepts her defeat. Lin hates that Toph doesn't even fight, doesn't even plead for her to forgive and to forget. Lin hates that Toph just resigns, same as she had done the day after they'd arrested Yakone. 

"You haven't changed one bit," Lin whispers, "and I don't know if you can or if you even want to."

Toph doesn't reply, and Lin doesn't wait for one as she walks away without turning back.

* * * 

"You're angry at her, I get it."

Lin looks up from where she's been throwing rocks and ice into the frozen wasteland and shakes her head.

"You _don't_ get it Zuko," Lin growls as she keeps throwing the rocks, venting her frustration. "She betrayed me."

"As she did me," Zuko says, causing Lin to pause. "For two decades, she harboured a secret which tore me apart for years."

Lin continues to pant as Zuko stands beside her, peering out into the tundra with a solemn expression. Lin wipes her brow and earth-bends two flat mounds before sitting on one of them. Zuko joins her, taking a deep breath as he swallows thickly.

"Your mother…," he stumbles, "she never mentioned your father, did she?"

"I never asked," Lin says as she looks to her palms. "I didn't expect her to tell me."

Zuko nods, taking in the words silently, and Lin hates that she knows what this conversation is about. She hates that she knows what _all_ their conversations have been about. His incessant need to constantly check in on her, his comfort and protection, his care. It all makes sense, and it only breaks Lin's heart more to know that Toph wasn't the only one who betrayed her.

"You were never going to tell me, were you?" Lin asks, breaking the silence. "You were going to keep that secret--"

"I had to," Zuko replies, his voice firm. "I wouldn't have been able to protect you if the world knew you were also my daughter."

"I guess Izumi's my sister now," Lin remarks, chuckling bitterly. "Does she know that we're related?"

Zuko pauses a moment before he swallows. "Yes," he says softly. "I told her a few years ago. She didn't seem all too surprised." A smile tugs at the fire-bender's lips as he turns to nod at Lin. "She said it didn't change how she felt about you. She just said that now she has even more of a reason to extend bragging rights… something about being the eldest. I didn't catch the rest."

Lin smiles sadly, laughing airily as she lets the information sink in. "That sounds like her."

"You've always been alike in many ways," Zuko says, sighing as he looks to his palms. "It's always been a regret of mine that I had not been in your life sooner. But I think… I think deep down, I'd always known that you were my daughter." Lin's heart jumps at the admission, still in shock that Zuko is her father. The fire-bender sighs again, his eyes misting as he looks back up.

"But I understood why your mother never told me, not while you were younger, that is." Zuko's tone shifts, turning serious. "There are forces of evil in the world, Lin, the likes of which you've not yet seen. There were many times I could not protect my own family from them. Izumi is stubborn and strong-headed much like yourself, but she too is not impervious to threat."

"From who?" Lin asks, her brow furrowing. "Who's threatening her? I can launch an investigation, get to the bottom of it."

Zuko just shakes his head, before taking a breath and turning his gaze towards Lin as he holds out an object in his hand.

"I think it's time that you knew the truth," he says, holding out the token. Lin glances down in confusion.

"A pai sho tile?" Lin asks as she takes the disc from his hand. "The White Lotus?"

"You said it yourself," Zuko says, looking back out to the horizon. "Interrogating Xai Bau would have been pointless. All members of the White Lotus are sworn to secrecy, each of them holding a secret about the knowledge of the world and universe. They swear a to a life of secrecy to keep information out of the hands of evil. And some secrets are so valuable, people will go to great lengths to unlock them." Lin frowns, trying to take in what Zuko is saying.

She looks to the man--her _father_ \--in confusion.

Then, it all becomes clear.

"You're a member of the White Lotus?" Lin asks. Zuko nods, a faint smile at his lips.

"So are Katara and Sokka," he replies, before pausing. He swallows before continuing, "and your mother."

"You were tasked with protecting the Avatar, by the Avatar himself. Huh," Lin says. Zuko nods, before reaching into another pocket to pull out a black disc with the white lotus on it. It's different from the regular tile, and has odd etchings in the picture.

"We are the highest ranking officials within the society," Zuko explains, "which means that those who wish to know destruction would seek to eliminate us first. When Yakone was arrested, forces were at play the likes of which we were too naive to understand. Your mother sacrificed her title and reputation to ensure that Yakone and his men were put away."

"That wasn't the only thing she sacrificed," Lin answers bitterly. "She also left me and my sister."

"This is true," Zuko murmurs sadly, "and it was an unfortunate outcome."

"What are you talking about?" Lin asks. "Mom left on her own accord."

Zuko remains quiet for a moment before he sighs, glancing up at her sadly. "It is not my place to say what happened."

"If you're a member of the White Lotus, why are you telling me any of this?" Lin asks, ignoring Zuko's avoidance of her initial question. She can't be bothered to know the truth of her mother's past. "I thought you were supposed to _keep_ secrets."

"We are," Zuko says as he looks to her, "which is why I had hoped we would still have time before this day came."

Lin frowns, even more confused as she hears footsteps sound from behind her. She turns to see Sokka, Katara, and her mother standing in the snow. Lin stands up, looking to each of them as they stare back at her with their hands crossed in front of them. 

"Lin," Zuko says, drawing her attention back to her father. "Since the day you were born, we all knew that you would be chosen to guard the most valuable secret of them all. You have been selected, from all of your friends and siblings, to join the White Lotus, to protect the Avatar, and to bring balance to the world. You proved yourself as a chief, handling responsibilities over which you had no preparation. You have made decisions which are difficult and morally challenging, but you made them in order to serve your people. You grew up in a painful world, knowing loss and destruction before you ever knew love or kindness."

Lin watches as Toph's head turns away at that, and her heart jumps inside her chest.

"Aang wanted to be the one to tell you," Zuko continues to say, drawing Lin's attention back to him. "He believed that of all our children, you were the only one with the courage, the strength, and the willpower to uphold the White Lotus and protect the next Avatar. I currently hold the title of the leader of the White Lotus, but there will come a day when I can no longer fulfill that duty."

Lin's heart aches in her chest as she thinks to Aang, and Zuko smiles sadly as he reaches out, placing his hand on her shoulder. When she glances up, she takes in the difference in his composure. She notices that his hair has begun to grey, and there are the slight weathering of wrinkles above his brow. She feels a sudden longing for the years she had missed by the Avatar's side.

Aang and Zuko were always like fathers to her, the latter more so than the former. But since most of Zuko's time was spent in the Fire Nation, Lin often sought out Aang and Katara for advice and guidance. The Avatar and his family turned into her own family, and as she turns to look back to the teary-eyed water-bender with a solemn expression, she feels the hurt dig in deeper.

"The White Lotus needs a leader which can withstand all perils, all hardship and loss. I believe that you have that power within you," Zuko says, pride echoing in his voice. "Republic City is changing, and you have lead them into a new future of peace."

Lin feels a warm hand clasp her shoulder, and she turns her head to see Katara behind her. Sokka joins her other side, and slowly, Toph comes to stand beside them. Lin looks back to Zuko, who is still holding the tile with a determined gaze.

"Of all the people to protect the next Avatar," Zuko says, his eyes lighting with passion, "none would do it better than you." Lin looks back to Katara and Sokka, and then finally to her mother. Toph's eyes are guarded, but despite the bitter feelings she still holds for her mother, Lin doesn't turn away the gentle touch of her mother's hands on her opposite shoulder.

Toph doesn't speak, and Lin's not sure what she would do if her mother did manage to say a word.

"You can choose not to accept," Zuko says, offering out the tile. "We understand this is a great responsibility."

Lin glances down at the tile before looking back up at the others. She closes her eyes, remembering the last moments she had spent with Aang. She remembers his knowing expression, the confidence and the pride in the small smile. She remembers the last words he had mouthed to her, and a new fire ignites deep within her core. Opening her eyes, she looks to her father.

Lin takes a breath, reaches out, and takes the tile from his hands.

"I accept," Lin says confidently, holding the tile in her palm tightly, "now what must I do?"

"The only job that matters," Zuko says as he turns his gaze towards the village. "We must find the new Avatar."

* * * 

Months later, after moving back and forth between Republic City and the two water-tribes in search of the water-bender holding the Avatar's spirit, Lin finds herself back in the blistering cool winds of the South Pole.  

Her son is healthily growing within her womb, and each day, she feels a stronger connection to the child. Tenzin had been around more, too, spending less time with the acolytes--with Pema--to help her out whenever she needed it. He had been nagging her to give herself some rest, what with being seven-months pregnant. She was still fit as ever, and only if one looked close enough would they'd notice the swell of her belly beneath her armour. Still, Tenzin worries, but Lin always reassures him.

"You don't need another coat?" Tenzin frets as they disembark the ship. "I don't want you or the baby to get sick."

"I'm not a helpless turtle-duck," Lin laughs as she pats his cheek. "Don't worry so much, or you'll go bald."

Tenzin swipes at his head, frowning. "I _am_ bald."

"Right now, it's by choice. Soon enough, it won't be."

Tenzin rolls his eyes as Lin steps into the harbour to see Katara and Kya waiting for them, alongside another man she doesn't quite recognize. Sokka and Zuko stand beside him, a warm smile on his fire-bender's face as he gazes to her stomach.

"You're really coming along now," he chuckles as he steps forward and pulls her into a hug. "It's good to see you, Lin."

"You as well," Lin says, smiling back as he releases her. "I missed you… Zuko."

Lin hadn't been sure if she was ready to call him Dad, and Zuko agreed that for the sake of their previous knowledge of each other, it would be better to stick with familiar names. He still regards her warmly, and Lin can sense his paternal instincts take over as he looks down once more to her bump. She allows herself a moment of comfort, before she turns to Kya and Katara.

"Kya, Katara," she greets the water-benders with hugs, "how have you been?"

"As good as it can be," Kya says as she places her arm on Katara's shoulder once Lin lets go of the woman. "It's been hard, moving back here, but I think it's for the best." Lin nods in understanding, her eyes misting slightly. Katara sniffles, before she turns to the man standing beside her. When beckoned, the man steps forward, a wide smile on his face as he extends his hand.

"Lin, this is Chief Tonraq of the Southern Water Tribe," Katara introduces them. "He has some important news for us."

Lin's face turns serious as she gets at the hint in Katara's tone. "Of course," Lin says, nodding. "Let us go somewhere quiet."

* * * 

"I'm assuming this is about the Avatar?"

Lin poses the question once the door closes behind them. Tonraq sits atop his throne and smiles sadly.

"It is," Tonraq says as he looks to her and then to Katara. "We've found her."

"Where is she?" Lin asks, but before Tonraq can answer, a baby's wailing interrupts her. They all turn to see a small woman walking in with a baby wrapped around her chest. She walks up, a proud, but worried smile on her face as she steps up to them.

"Lin, this is Senna, Tonraq's wife." Katara introduces her to the other woman as she reaches out to pull down the hood of the infant. Lin notices her wide blue eyes and pudgy cheeks, and her chest tightens at the almost knowingness in the infant's expression. Her small hand extends from the blanket as she coos in Lin's direction. Lin can't stop herself from holding her hand out, watching in awe as the tiny baby giggles before wrapping her small fingers around her index finger.

"And who is this?" Lin asks, not taking her eyes off the baby. Katara smiles, bittersweet and hopeful as the baby coos again.

"I think you know," Katara whispers, placing a hand on Lin's shoulder. "This… is Avatar Korra."

* * * 

"Does anyone else know?" Lin asks as she looks to the giggling baby in Senna's arms. Tonraq shakes his head.

"Not for now, but it won't be long until the secret is spilled," Tonraq murmurs as he lovingly gazes to his family. "I fear that the time will come sooner than later, as I've already heard rumours around the palace." He pauses a moment before gazing up pleadingly. "Chief Beifong, what do we do? If we order extra security, it will only alert the guards to something suspicious."

"For right now, we cannot do anything," Zuko says as he peers at the child. "We will stay here for a few days until we figure it out." Tonraq nods, digesting the words as Senna walks up the steps to hand him the sleepy-looking infant.

"I've called my brother, Unalaq, from the Northern Water Tribe," Tonraq whispers as he stares upon his first-born with awe. "He will be here at first light. I will notify him once he enters the castle." Zuko nods, finding the proposition acceptable.

"I'm sorry," Tonraq eventually says as he looks up to Katara and Kya. "I know Avatar Aang well. He was a kind man."

"His spirit could not have found a better home," Katara assures him with a sad smile. "She is beautiful, Tonraq."

"Thank you," the man whispers, swallowing his emotion before he looks to Lin and Zuko. "And thank you for coming."

"We will always serve to protect the Avatar," Zuko says with a nod. "Your daughter will not fall prey to harm's way."

* * * 

When Unalaq comes the next morning, Lin finds something twist inside of her gut in apprehension.

He examines the child carefully, claiming that since he has a way with the spirits, he is only making sure to confirm Katara's findings. When Korra peers up at him and doesn't smile or laugh, Lin feels a sinking feeling settle in her gut. Unalaq only smiles, holding her close for a small embrace, before he hands the infant back to his brother with a slight upturn of his lips.

"She is the Avatar," he says, his voice smooth and gentle. "Congratulations, brother."

Tonraq and Senna turn away from him, but Lin watches as his gazes shifts over to hers for a moment.

They stare at each other, the rest of the world pausing for a moment as Lin struggles to read his blank expression.

"Chief Beifong," Unalaq says as he approaches with a bow of respect. "I appreciate your help and your protection."

Lin doesn't say anything as Unalaq straightens and offers a thin smile. "I hope that you keep them safe."

"I will," Lin says, watching as Unalaq's gaze flickers. "There is no need for concern."

"Of course," Unalaq replies, bowing his head once more. "Why would there be?"

The two of them stare at each other for a few more moments before the younger man turns away. Lin follows his back as he steps into the darkness of one of the halls, never to be seen again for the rest of the night.

As they all settle for bed hours later, Lin can't keep the niggling worry from escaping her chest.

* * * 

Unalaq returns to the Northern Water Tribe days later, but the suspicious feeling doesn't go away.

Instead, it brews and brews, until it all finally spills over.

The day of reckoning arrives, and with it, comes the beginning of the end.

* * * 

"She's gone!"

Lin wakes to the sound of Tonraq's anguished shouts. She quickly leaps off the bed and metal-bends her uniform on before bolting out the door. Tenzin follows behind her, haphazardly dressed in his air-bending robes as he slides into the hall. Lin hears Senna's devastating screams and she blocks out the part of her which is ridding itself with guilt for not saying anything.

"Where did she go?" Lin bellows as Zuko and Sokka come racing down the stairs, Kya and Katara in tow. 

"Check the palace!" Tonraq orders as he slips on his armour. "I want my daughter's abductors hunted immediately."

The guards in the foyer nod and split up as they all rush off in search of the Chief's daughter. Lin looks outside the palace windows, frowning as she makes out the blurred image of something walking in the snow. 

"There!" Lin points out as she rushes towards the entrance. "They're getting away!"

"Katara and Kya, stay here with Senna," Zuko orders as he joins her. "Protect the castle in case she's still here!" 

The master water-bender and her daughter nod and set their jaw as Tenzin, Zuko, Tonraq, Lin and Sokka take off in the direction of the figures. Lin ignores the additional weight of her stomach as she rushes towards the sight of the blurred images. 

Once the snow stops blowing so hard, Lin gasps in shock as she recognizes there are four figures trudging through the snow. Tonraq growls and extends his arm, causing a block of ice to block their path. The figures turn, and Lin gasps in shock.

She immediately recognizes the fire-bender, P'Li from where she stands, towering over the rest of the kidnappers. The woman makes eye-contact with her and snarls, a flash of fury and malice in her narrowed amber eyes. Something about her stance and curled lip makes Lin shiver. Beside her are the armless water-bender, Ming-Hua and the earth-bender, Ghazan.  

And at the front of them all, with an infant cradled in his arms, stands Zaheer.

"Hand over the child," Lin growls as she raises her hands in an offensive stance. "We will not hesitate to use force."

"We will not fight you," Zaheer tells them in a calm, collected voice. "But we will not let you take the Avatar."

"Then you will die," Tonraq hisses, drawing up a few blocks of ice. "Give her back to me, and I will spare you."

"You do not understand the gravity of responsibility you needlessly ignore," Zaheer continues to speak as he holds Korra's whimpering body closer to his frame. "Choosing to fight us means that you willingly choose to endanger your daughter."

"Enough talking!" Sokka shouts, unsheathing his sword as he straights his shoulders. "This ends… _now_."

Lin isn't sure who throws the first punch, but the tundra explodes in chaos as the two opposing forces clash at each other. Tenzin and Zuko target Ghazan, while Tonraq and Ming-Hua face off in a deadly battle of water and ice. Sokka is chasing after Zaheer, which only leaves Lin left with the all too powerful combustion-bender who nearly ripped her apart their last battle.

"You!" P'Li growls, flames encapsulating her fists as she draws closer. "You're the one who murdered my brother!"

Lin flinches at the accusation, before the realization settles in. "Xai Bau…"

"I'll make you pay!" P'Li snarls as she juts her fists out, blasting a torrent of flames in her direction. Lin barely has the time to raise her fists and build up an earth wall, before she finally is able to launch a counter attack. P'Li expertly dodges each rocketing boulder Lin throws in her direction, and Lin hates that she knows P'Li has improved greatly since their last encounter.

"You killed him," P'Li continues to scream, launching flame after flame in her direction. "You mutilated him, you bitch!"

"He was trying to kill the Avatar," Lin replies smoothly, dodging an explosion of fire as it darts towards her. "He made his bed… I just tucked him into it." P'Li just growls louder, obviously infuriated with her response, but Lin just keeps herself focused. She knows that as long as she can unravel the fire-bender, she will be able to breach her defences and take her out quickly.

"You think you're so great," P'Li sneers, hurtling more fire in Lin's path. "But you're just as weak as your drunk mother!"

"Ha!" Lin chuckles as she draws up a wall of earth before pushing it forward. "Nice try, but that one won't on me."

P'Li goes crashing to the ground as the boulder collides into her chest, sending the fire-bender hurdling backwards. Lin quickly takes the time to glance over to where Ghazan has Zuko and Tenzin locked in a nasty brawl of earth, air, and fire. Noticing that P'Li is still down, Lin quickly bounds over and extends her arms, shooting blades of metal from her wrists towards the man.

Ghazan hisses as the metal slices into his skin, before he kicks down and pushes out his fists. Lin can only watch in horror as Tenzin and Zuko remain unprepared for what is to come. A tsunami of earth cackles towards Tenzin and Zuko, knocking both benders off their feet in shock. Ghazan then sticks his hands into the ground, before looking up to Lin with a sly smirk.

And then, Lin's eyes widen as the land beneath Zuko and Tenzin begins to burn a deep, fiery red.

"New trick," Ghazan says with a Cheshire grin as the earth burbles and splits into lava, "you like?"

Tenzin is quick to funnel air beneath them, blasting Zuko and himself away from the inferno the recently-developed lava-bender had just created. Lin launches her own chain of attacks, but every time she sends earth in the man's direction, it bursts to flame. Ghazan laughs as Lin's efforts soon grow futile, and he reaches down, before swinging his arm up to send lava in her direction.

"You're not the best earth-bender in the world anymore, _Chief_!" Ghazan taunts her as he continues to fling the lava in her way. Lin dodges and weaves, before she centres herself and sets her jaw determinedly. She waits for an opening, and then strikes.

"No," she says as she lifts her arms and spins out her coils. "But I'm the best damned _metal-bender_ you'll ever see."

Ghazan barely has time to reach as Lin's coils wrap around his wrists and yank him forward, causing him to fall into his own lava. The man screams as the skin on his face burbles and festers with the heat. He suffers for a few moments before he flattens his palms and cools the earth down, but the damage is done. Lin releases the coils and turns her attention back to the others.

"You deal with him," she says as she looks to see Sokka and Zaheer engaged in hand-to-hand combat. "I'm getting Korra."

"Go," Tenzin says, panting. "We'll cover you."

Lin just nods as she bounds off in the direction of the non-bender with a new fire lit in her eyes. She had made Aang a promise, and as she makes out Korra's small bundle in the snow, Lin feels herself dig deep and harness all of her energy. When she draws near enough, she flicks out one of the coils, lassoing it around the young girl before quickly drawing the bundle to her arms.

Korra cries as soon as she's in Lin's grasp, alerting Zaheer and Sokka of her presence.

"I will not let you take the Avatar," Zaheer growls now, looking to Sokka. "The reign of the White Lotus ends today."

Sokka turns, ready to attach the man, when Zaheer pulls a dagger from his pocket and stabs it directly into the other man's chest. Lin's eyes widen and she screams in horror as Sokka's body goes uncharacteristically limp. His lips quiver as blood pools out from between them, and Lin can hear him choking on his breath as Zaheer shoves the dagger deeper into his chest.

Lin's eyes well with tears as Zaheer lets go, causing Sokka to hit to the ground with a sickening thud. Blood pools into the snow, but she can hear his strangled breaths as he struggles to stay alive. Zaheer steps over the councilman with no remorse as stalks towards Lin. Sokka's head turns slightly, his eyes bloodshot as he struggles to move after him, but fails as he flops back down.

"Give me the Avatar," Zaheer says as soon as he is feet from her. "Give her to me, and no one else will die."

Lin looks to Sokka, watching as the man slowly shakes his head and offers a feeble smile. She hates what her gut tells her, but she knows that no matter the sacrifice and loss, she must not give up on her mission. Lin blinks back her tears and curls Korra tighter to her chest, her arms wrapping securely around the baby. The action causes Zaheer to growl in disgust and fury. He looks to the ground, noticing Zuko's sword, and kicks at the handle so that it jumps up into his grip. Zaheer takes a deep breath.

Lin holds Korra with one arm and extends the metal in her other, forming her own sword as she angles her body so Korra doesn't face the man. Lin brandishes the metal, setting her feet in preparation for Zaheer's attack. They circle each other, immune to the noise of the destruction occurring outside of their surroundings. But Lin is an earth-bender who was raised under the tutelage of a warrior, an air-bender, a water-bender, a metal-bender, and a fire-bender. She has mastered the arts of all forms of combat, but she knows the best offence is to be patient, and to wait until the first strike to counter with your own. 

So she waits, never breaking eye-contact, as she circles the other man until his willpower breaks.

Finally, after what feels like years, Zaheer strikes.

Lin is quick to parry the move, effortlessly sliding the blade out of grasp before delivering a harsh kick to the man's chest. Zaheer goes sprawling backwards into the snow with a grunt, and Lin just stands taller. She plants her feet and waits again as Zaheer rises, spitting blood into the snow before charging forward. Again, Lin counters and shoves him away, before flipping the metal sword she can slice into the man's arm as he tumbles behind her. Zaheer growls as Lin spins out of the way and slices his back.

"You will not take her," Lin says as she kicks at his knees and drives her elbow into his neck. "Give up now, or I'll kill you."

Before she can speak, Zaheer reaches into his boot for a small knife before smashing it into the side of Lin's kneecap. The metal-bender screams as Zaheer twists hard enough for the bone underneath to splinter and crack. Lin falls to her own knees, but keeps Korra securely in her arms as she kicks her other foot upwards and smashes a block of rock into Zaheer's head.

"Foolish woman," Zaheer spits as Lin scrambles to crawl away. "You think that a little force will stop me?"

Lin juts her fist out, sending more rocks in Zaheer's direction, but the non-bender dodges them skillfully. Lin pushes at the earth behind her, lifting her to her feet as she tries to balance herself and the child while only on one working leg. Zaheer grabs at his sword and sticks it out, clashing it against the metal of Lin's own sword. Without a steady posture, Lin stumbles backwards again. She doesn't fall, but she leaves herself vulnerable as Zaheer rakes his blade down her shoulder, slicing open her arm.

"Give up now!" Zaheer shouts as Lin loses the grip on her own sword in an effort to shield Korra from the next attack. "You will be spared, Chief Beifong. You and the Avatar can still live to see another day, but you must concede this battle immediately."

Lin sucks in a deep breath as she covers Korra's body with her arms. "Like hell I will."

But then, before the non-bender can jab the sword towards her again, Zaheer gasps in pain. Lin blinks open her eyes to see a familiar dagger sticking out of Zaheer's shoulder as the non-bender collapses to his knees in agony. Lin's jaw drops as she makes out Sokka standing, a hole in his chest, bleeding profusely as he slouches over the other non-bender with a smirk.

"Never… count… me… out," Sokka wheezes as he kicks at the non-bender, causing Zaheer to fall to his face. He then looks to Lin with a faint, knowing smile on his face as his own knees give out and he collapses behind the kidnapper in a heap.

"Sokka!" Lin shouts as she scrambles over Zaheer's writhing body to Sokka's limp one. "No!  _No_ …"

"Lin," Sokka gasps as he reaches for her cheek with a bloodied hand. "Don't… let… him… take… her…"

"I won't," Lin promises as she holds his trembling hand. "I won't, but you have to get up. You can't leave me."

Sokka shakes his head weakly, looking over to Lin's shoulder to see Zaheer stumbling back to his feet. He gives her hand one last encouraging squeeze before he nods, accepting his fate. He gestures towards Korra, before he swallows thickly.

"Go," he whispers, her voice garbled as he chokes on his own blood. "Protect the Avatar."

He pushes Lin out of the way and weakly hooks his leg around Zaheer as the man tries to rush them. Zaheer collapses and Lin limps backwards, watching in horror as Zaheer grabs the dagger from his shoulder and stabs it into Sokka's throat, before driving the blade downwards in a horrifying motion. Mangled bits of flesh and bone are exposed as Sokka's eyes grow wide for a moment, before they become glassy and blank. Lin's heart shatters as Zaheer rips the dagger out in frustration and anger.

"There's no one left to protect you," Zaheer snarls as he steps over the man, "now hand her over, Chief."

Just before Lin goes to attack, a block of ice prevents Zaheer from advancing. Lin looks to her side to see Tonraq sliding toward them, fury laden in his blue eyes as he comes to a stop in front of Lin. He's bleeding sluggishly from a gash on his side, but other than a few other bruises and scrapes, he looks to be okay. Lin quickly hands him Korra, before giving him a shove.

"Take her," Lin says as she looks to where Zuko and Tenzin are struggling against both Ming-Hua and Ghazan. "You have to get her back to the castle. We will hold them off and buy you and your wife time to escape. Take Katara and Kya. They'll protect you."

Tonraq nods as he quickly skates away with his child in his hands. 

But, he doesn't make it far.

Lin watches in horror as a water tendril whips out and wraps itself around Tonraq's leg before swinging him back into the tundra. The man wraps his arms around the baby as he lands on his back with a thud, effectively winding him. Lin hobbles in his direction, bending some metal around her knee to form a make-shift brace as she races towards the downed chief.

"Tonraq," she calls out as she approaches him. "You have to get up, you must get out--"

Before she can finish her statement, Lin hears the characteristic boom of P'Li's concussive shot. Lin is quick to turn and stamp her good foot out, effectively raising a thick enough wall that when the blast goes through, she's only sent stumbling back. Lin stands in front of Tonraq, her chest heaving as she raises her fists again, forming yet another protective barricade from the combustion-bender. She extends her other arm backwards and covers Tonraq and Korra with more earth as P'Li's next shot hits the barricade harder than before. Rocks and rubble go flying out, and Lin falls to one knee with the sheer force of the shot.

"Lin!" 

The metal-bender weakly looks up to see Tenzin running towards her, determination set in his blue eyes as he sends a blast of air in the fire-bender's direction. P'Li falls backwards into the snow, giving Tenzin enough time to reach Lin. But, as he reaches her, his eyes look over her shoulder to where Sokka lays motionless in the snow, eyes open and cold, surrounded by blood.

"No…," Tenzin breathes out as his eyes mist, "Uncle Sokka--Agh!"

Lin gasps as Tenzin keels over to reveal a nasty gash on his back. She looks up to see Ming-Hua staring back at her with a malicious grin. Her water arms have turned into scythe-like ice claws as she brandishes them with a chuckle. She begins to advance alongside the fire-bender, who has a renewed look of energy in her eyes as she stalks forward. Eventually, Ghazan and Zaheer join, and the four rebels advance on them. Lin looks behind the lava-bender to where Zuko lays unconscious in the snow. She places her hand to the ground, grateful to find the man is simply knocked out and not suffering from serious injuries.

"You're outnumbered and out of fight," Zaheer says as they all come to a stop. "I'll tell you once more: hand over the Avatar."

Lin looks to the four of them, noticing that they're on side of the cliff. She turns back to Tonraq, who's slowly stirring awake, before glancing at Korra. The little girls eyes are wet with tears, and Lin can see her lips are turning blue. A realization hits her, as she looks to Tenzin's heaving figure, and Zuko's slouched body as he slowly comes back to his senses.

This fight needs to end now, or else there will be no Avatar left to save.

Closing her eyes, Lin places her palms into the earth, focusing her energy on reaching deep within the ice and to the core. She takes deep breaths, in and out, as she finds her grip on the element, before she jerks her head up and glares at Zaheer.

The non-bender doesn't flinch, until Lin roars, lifting her arms and pushing them out violently.

The floor beneath the rebels begins to quake and crumble, causing all four to fall to their knees. Lin widens her stance and draws her arms up again, before taking a few steps forward. The ground continues to terraform beneath them, but Lin keeps pushing. She hears the creaking and scratching of the ice as it begins to slide away, crumbling into the earth upon which it is packed. 

"Take Tonraq and Korra," Lin hisses as she clenches her fists tighter, closing her eyes as she draws her focus into the minute details of the earth. She feels the glacier upon which Zaheer and his men stand begin to give way. She hears Tenzin protest, but she blinks open her eyes and turns her head to give him a glare. "Don't argue with me. I can give you a small window, but you have to take it now, Tenzin. I can't hold this forever!" Tenzin still looks reluctant, but then he hears Korra's whimpers.

"Go," Lin urges as she turns her gaze back to the crumbling earth in front of her. "I can do this."

She hears Tonraq stumbling to his feet and Tenzin guiding him away from the destruction she's creating out in front of her. Lin continues to swivel her arms as she locks her good foot into the ground. She feels sweat bead down her brow as she lifts upwards once more, causing the entire platform upon which Zaheer and the rebels stand to suddenly rise into the air.

As it rises, Lin bends the earth underneath the platform so that it curves upwards, forming a massive earth-prism.

She can feel Ghazan attempting to fight her hold, but the lava-bender can't break past her iron grip. Lin lets the tops close over before she swings her arms downwards, causing the entire structure to smash into the ground. As it hits, she quickly bends the earth over again, creating a sphere-like trap around the rebels. Lin keeps tightening it as she draws closer and closer.

But then, there is a rocketing boom, and a section of the rocks explode in dust.

Lin blinks it from her eyes, but she's too late when she stands, face-to-face with P'Li's fiery gaze.

They're only meters apart when P'Li's eyes dart from her to her stomach, a sick smile widening her lips. Behind her, Ghazan, Zaheer, and Ming-Hua remain on their knees as the fire-bender steps out of the crack she created with a vile smirk.

"You took something from us," P'Li whispers as Lin feels her body grow weak. "Now, I'll take something from _you_."

Before Lin can react to her words, P'Li's head snaps forward and a resounding _boom_ crackles through the air. 

Lin feels a deep inferno of pain rocket through her stomach, sending her careening backwards, flipping backwards and to the side as she tumbles far away. Her breath leaves her lungs as she sucks up mouthfuls of dirt and snow with each tumble. She's shot backwards a solid few feet. Finally, after tossing and turning like a rag doll, Lin's body comes to a complete and utter halt.

"Lin, no!" She hears Zuko shouting her name in the background, but she barely registers it amongst the intense ringing in her ears and the blinding light. The world around her is fuzzy and unclear, but all she knows is that something is terribly wrong. 

When she glances down, her vision clears to a gruesome sight.

Her stomach is a gaping mess, and from within the strands of flesh and blood, she can make out one distinct thing.

Her _son_.

"No," Lin whispers as she makes out torn limbs and a tattered remnant of a face, "no…"

But no other words leave her mouth. Not even loss settles in her bones. She cannot grieve as she makes out two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. She imagines the colour of her son's eyes; would they be a grey-green like her own, or a blue like his father's? Would he be an air-bender or an earth-bender? Would he grow up to be fighter or a saint? Would he cuddle her in the morning, rising her from her sleep? Would he sing to her, songs of nonsense and play? Would he have loved her as much as she loves him?

Would he have survived, if Lin had not taken the risk?

When Zuko finds her, Lin blankly stares at the remains of her son, realizing she'll never know the answers.

And then, as Zuko gasps at the sight of the baby ripped from her womb, Lin finally gives into the darkness and slips away.

* * * 

When Lin wakes, she is alone in the room.

She slowly blinks open her eyes to see pale morning light filtering in through the curtains, spilling over the white fabric of her bedsheets. Lin looks down to see her body bandaged in almost every place, but the most notable one being her stomach. She stares at it for a moment, unaccustomed to seeing it appear so flat in these past few months. She aches to lift her hand and feel it, but Lin can't bring herself to complete the action. She just stares at the padding and feels the memories creep back in.

"Lin," a familiar voice gently rouses her from her thoughts. "You're awake."

Lin doesn't look up from her stomach as she hears Kya walk quietly into the room. She stays focused on the flatness of her stomach, the absence of life which she'd been carrying only moments ago. She feels Kya take a seat beside her, but she doesn't react. The two of them sit there in silence, with Lin keeping her gaze pierced on the void in front of her.

"I…," Kya croaks after a few moments. "I couldn't save him. I'm sorry."

Lin's eyes water, but she refuses to shed the tears. Her throat burns as she finally musters the strength to speak.

"Did they catch them?"

Kya frowns as Lin tears her gaze away from her stomach to glare at her. "Did they catch Zaheer and P'Li? The others?"

Kya nods silently, tears streaming down her cheeks as Lin looks back to the emptiness in front of her.

"Lock them away with the highest security the White Lotus can provide," Lin orders coldly. "I won't let them out of my sight--"

"Lin--"

"I want a compound built in the South Pole. The Avatar will be raised there, surrounded by only the highest-ranking guards," Lin continues to say, her voice quivering as rage burns through her. "I want twenty-four seven supervision, I want it to be a fortress. It should not be penetrable, not even by a musky little desert mouse. Korra is not to be left alone under any circumstance--"

"Lin, stop!" Kya pleads as she interrupts the metal-bender's derailing. "Your son just died!"

"You don't think I know?!" Lin snarls back as she feels her throat burn with emotion. "I saw him with my own two eyes, Kya! But what good will it do me to think about him now?! He's gone, and I can't bring him back. I couldn't protect him, just like I couldn't protect Sokka. Just like I couldn't protect Aang, or Su. They're gone, Kya, but reminding me about it will do _nothing_!" Lin's eyes are ablaze with fury and anguish as she reaches for the sheets with her good hand, ripping them off in frustration.

"I can't lay here and do nothing," Lin seethes as air starts quickly entering and leaving her body. "I can't… I can't…"

Soon enough, the metal-bender begins to hyperventilate as sobs take over. Kya instantly clambers onto the bed, wrapping her arms around the grieving woman as she holds Lin close to her chest. Lin's hands claw into her shirt as she wails in grief.

"I lost him," Lin sobs into Kya's shirt, "I lost my baby boy…"

"Ssh," Kya whimpers, holding her own emotion back as she comforts her best friend. "Ssh, Lin. Breathe, sweetheart."

"He's dead," Lin croaks as she hangs her head in shame, "he's dead… and I killed him."

"No," Kya whispers encouragingly as she strokes Lin's frazzled hair. "No, love. That wasn't you."

"My only option was to give them Korra," Lin hoarsely chokes out. "But… but the world needs the Avatar." Kya closes her eyes, letting the weight of Lin's words sink in. She feels Lin's body slump in defeat as the older woman collapses against her chest.

"I traded my son's life for hers," Lin whispers in a broken tone, "but do you know the saddest part?" 

Lin knows that Kya knows the answer, but she needs to say it. She needs to hear the words come from her own math.

"The saddest part is," Lin says as she closes her eyes in defeat, "I… I don't regret the choice I made."

Kya's tears start to drip into Lin's hair as the metal-bender shakes her head and lets out a sad, bitter chuckle.

"I never even gave him a name," Lin mumbles as she takes a deep breath. "He died… and he didn't even have a name, Kya."

Kya shudders as Lin cries, "my little boy didn't even have a name…"

And that's how Lin falls asleep, crying over a life that will never live, and a love that would never exist.

* * * 

When she is well enough to move, albeit with the help of a crutch, the first person Lin seeks out is Tenzin.

Her boyfriend hadn't visited her since she'd gained consciousness, and by now she knows that he must be aware of their loss. So she finds him out by the courtyard, overlooking a frozen lake. He's meditating, but Lin doesn't care for the tranquility.

"You haven't said a word to me," Lin says, her voice hard. Tenzin flinches at the ice in her tone. "You didn't even visit."

"My uncle was killed," Tenzin whispers, looking out to the pond. Lin shakes her head, tears burning in her eyes.

"Your son was _also_ killed," Lin growls as hobbles forward. "Or did you not care about that part?"

"Of course I care!" Tenzin roars as he stands and whips around to face Lin with a devastated expression. "He was our boy and we never had a chance to meet him because of those… those tyrants! They killed my family! And you have the audacity to accuse me of not caring?! I have always cared for you, Lin!" Her eyes water as Tenzin continues to shout, his face reddening with anger. 

"I _told_ you that we shouldn't have come," Tenzin growls as he clutches his forehead. "I told you that it was too dangerous, that we should stay at home, but you insisted on coming. You jeopardized your life and in turn, you jeopardized _his_ life--"

"Don't you dare!" Lin shouts back, her voice cracking as she limps towards the irate man. "Don't you dare blame this on me."

"Then who _else_ do I blame it on?!" Tenzin asks, his eyes widening as he realizes what he's just said. Lin reels back, as if she'd been slapped. She looks to the ground as the tears slide from her eyes and down her cheeks, before dripping to the ground.

"If… if that's how you feel," Lin chokes as she looks back up, "then I guess we should stop this, now."

Tenzin swallows, his eyes hard as he glances away. His lack of reply only makes the anxiety churn further in Lin's gut.

"Spit it out," Lin snaps, forcing herself to keep it together. "Don't stand there and pretend to be pensive, just tell me--"

"I've been seeing Pema," Tenzin breathes out, causing Lin's mouth to shut. He doesn't look at her as he continues to whisper, "I've been seeing her since before you got pregnant. I thought… I thought that maybe the child would bring us together. I thought it would mend the toxicity that had been brewing between us, so Pema and I decided to take a break, but…"

"But now he's dead," Lin chokes out a bitter laugh as she shakes her head, "so you don't have a reason to be with me anymore."

"It's not that," Tenzin tries to say, but they both know it's a lie. "Lin… I care deeply for you."

"Don't give me that bullshit, Tenzin. You _cheated_ on me," Lin scoffs sarcastically as she sniffles in disbelief. "And you decided now was the best time to tell me. If you cared, you would have had the guts to end it before any of this happened."

"I didn't know what else to do," Tenzin pleads as he reaches for her hands. "Without the child…"

"Don't finish that sentence," Lin growls as she rips her hands away. "He was my son, _our_ son, and you…"

Tenzin doesn't reach for her again, but the damage is done as Lin places that familiar mask over her face.

"I saw him, Tenzin. I saw his body," Lin details as Tenzin closes his eyes. "I saw his face and his tiny hands. He had your nose and my chin. He was… he was the most beautiful boy I have ever seen. He was right there, and I couldn't keep him long enough to hold him. I couldn't save him. And now… now he's gone." Lin chokes on a sob as she turns her head away in defeat. 

"Now he's gone," Lin whispers sadly, "and I have nobody left."

"That isn't true," Tenzin attempts to assure her, but it falls flat. Lin offers him a sad smile as she shakes her head. 

"I was foolish to believe that I could raise a child," she says as she shrugs her shoulders helplessly. "But maybe… maybe I saved him. Maybe I was able to keep him from living the life I did. Maybe… maybe it was better that he--"

"No," Tenzin says as he blinks back tears. "Don't, Lin."

"Why not?" Lin asks, glaring up at him. "Look at us, Tenzin? Do you honestly think we could have raised a child together?!"

When Tenzin doesn't reply, Lin just shakes her head and looks away before mumbling, "that's what I thought."

The two of them stand in silence, avoiding each other's glance as their words settle between them. Lin can feel her resolve crumble as Tenzin takes a deep breath, before he looks up to the metal-bender with remorse and sadness.

"I'm sorry, Lin." Tenzin apologizes as he blinks back tears. "I never wanted to hurt you. I… I should have…"

"What?" Lin rasps, shaking her head. "Should have what, Tenzin? Not fallen in love with another woman? Not lied to me about wanting to raise a child? What _should_ you have done, Tenzin?" The man flinches at the ire in her voice and closes his eyes. Lin swallows thickly, her heart begging her not to ask the question that is burning her tongue, but she can't hold back.

"Did you ever love me?" Lin asks, her voice quieter than before. Tenzin looks up, hurt.

"Of course I did," he replies as he moves towards the metal-bender. "I… I loved you so much, Lin."

"So then what happened?" Lin asks bitterly. Tenzin shrugs, looking away.

"I don't know," he replies as he bows his head his shame. "I never recognized it for what it was. I just… I didn't want to accept the truth. I didn't want to leave you, because you were the only one who ever understood me. But then we got caught up in our jobs, and we didn't see each other as much. You were busy with police work and I was either at the temple or in the council. Soon enough… it just became like a routine. We would come home and wouldn't speak, or we would fight. There was no in-between."

Tenzin takes a breath before he looks up with a mournful glance. "It wasn't healthy, Lin."

Lin just nods, knowing that deep down, the man is right. Even she had felt the unraveling of their relationship, but she never wanted to admit it. Now, though, as her arm clasps around her bandaged stomach, Lin finds herself mourning the broken possibility of something more. She looks down to her arm and hides her grief at the reminder that the life inside her is gone.

"I'm still here," Tenzin whispers eventually, noticing her gaze. "I still want to be your friend… if you'll have me."

Lin doesn't reply, because the words make her chest ache. To go from lovers to expecting parents, back to friends? The way Tenzin speaks so casually, it's as if the near-five years together was nothing but a waste of time. Lin doesn't want to reach deep into herself, but she can feel the familiar throes of abandonment leer up at her, reminding her that she'll always be alone. Tenzin waits for her response, but when he realizes that she isn't going to speak, he simply returns back to face the pond in defeat.

For a moment, Lin burns with rage at how Tenzin reacts so simply, so unaffected, but then the anger settles.

And instead, the flames within her extinguish to bleed into a sea of mournful acceptance.

Lin realizes they have nothing more to say, so she turns and limps back to the palace without a second glance.

* * * 

As Lin hobbles back towards the chief's residence, she sees Katara standing alone on the balcony.

A newfound sense of guilt washes over her as she realizes that the water-bender had only just lost her husband months ago, and now her brother had been brutally killed defending his new spirit. At the root of it, Lin knows that she had a part to play in Sokka's death. If she had been closer, if she had acted sooner, perhaps she could have saved him, and saved Katara another loss.

"It's not your fault," Katara says, looking up to Lin with a bittersweet smile. "I know what you are thinking, but it is not your fault, Lin. My brother knew the risks when he went after Zaheer. He… he did not die in vain. He died protecting the Avatar."

Lin blinks back tears as Katara steps forward, her trembling hands reaching up to cup Lin's cheeks. Her thumbs rub over the gaunt lines soothingly, easing the stress which is buried there. Lin longs for that comforting embrace, but with recent events, she pulls back reluctantly, still feeling undeserving of love. Katara winces at the reticence, but Lin just bows her head sadly.

"He was so proud of you," Katara whispers, only causing the hurt festering with Lin to ache deeper. "He loved you, Lin."

Lin tries to open her mouth to speak, but the words won't come out. Her throat feels raw, exposed, and whenever she closes her eyes, she can see the glassy blue eyes of her former mentor, the blood pooling from his throat, the pain and devastation--

"I'm sorry," Katara murmurs as she glances to Lin's frame. "Kya and I tried to save the baby…"

"Please," Lin croaks as she jerks her head up, tears in her eyes. "I… I can't…"

Katara just nods as she recognizes the deep grief buried in Lin's grey-green eyes. Lin just shakes her head and takes a weak, trembling step backwards. She can't look at the water-bender as panic rises in her chest and threatens to overwhelm her. She sees him in the corner of her vision, his small body ripped to shreds on the snow. She sees him everywhere she goes.

It's too much for her to take.

"I need to be alone," Lin chokes out as she keeps her stare glued to the ground. "I'm sorry… I…"

"I understand," Katara replies, trying and failing to keep the quiver from her voice. "If you need me, please call. I'm here, Lin."

Lin is pretty sure she is sick of hearing that.

Everyone says that they're there for her, but the moment she needs them most, no one stands at her side. When she was almost killed by Yakone, she woke alone. When she caught her sister driving a stolen car with stolen goods, her mother berated her for the arrest. When she shouldered the mantle of her mother's position, she stood alone and accepted the badge. Lin realizes that all this time, everyone had lied. Her mother had been right, she was a disappointment, a failure, weak and spineless… _pathetic_.

Her son is dead, her relationship is broken, and Lin can't find it within herself to be strong anymore.

"Where… where is he?" Lin asks, unable to look up. "The… body…"

Katara swallows thickly. "We… we kept him in a casket. Kya preserved his remains. She didn't know if…"

"Take me to him," Lin says, her voice hardening as she looks up with a firm expression. Tears sting at her eyes, but she pushes them away. Katara searches her gaze, but seeing as Lin won't budge, she softly nods, before beckoning Lin to follow her.

They make their way towards the infirmary of the castle, before Katara opens a small door leading to an empty room. 

At the centre, Lin's heart breaks as she makes out a small box with intricate carvings.

"The casket is from the Earth Kingdom," Katara explains shakily as Lin limps into the room. "One of the sentries here is from Gaoling, the place where your mother grew up. He is known for his craftsmanship. I saw it and I… I just thought…"

Lin doesn't speak as her crutch slides out from under her arm and clatters to the floor. She limps forward, struggling without the support, until she kneels in front of the small box. Her fingers reach out and trace each line carefully. She steadies her breathing as she reaches for the box, cradling it in her arms. She hesitates a moment before she slowly slides the lid off to the side.

Her beautiful baby boy lays resting inside, and Lin can tell that Kya had done her best to piece him together. Lin stares at him for a moment, trying to picture what he would have looked like. She imagines a life beside him, holding his hands as they ran through wheat fields and flower gardens. She imagines cajoling him to bed after playing with him all day. She sees herself beside him, telling him stories of her adventures with Avatar Aang and his children. She imagines holding him, loving him…

She takes a whole minute to imagine her life with her son, before she closes her eyes and allows reality to sink in.

After Lin allows herself a moment of peace, imagining his life, she finally opens her eyes and reaches inside.

His skin is cold, frozen from the preservation techniques the water-benders had used to keep his body from degenerating. Lin chokes back a cry at the softness of his skin, the small pout of his lips, the bridge of his nose. She memorizes every detail as she traces over his eyes and forehead. She looks to his face, and she feels an ounce of bittersweet joy as she realizes he is at peace.

Finally, she reaches back for the lid of the casket, gently putting it back in place.

"I know his name now," Lin says as she stands unsteadily, gripping the box in her hand as she turns to face Katara with a sad smile. The older water-bender's eyes mist as Lin looks back down to the casket, allowing her unshed tears to finally fall.

"What is it?" Katara asks, her voice barely a whisper. Lin takes a deep breath before she looks up.

"Hikari," she says with a soft, longing smile. "It… it means…"

" _Light_ ," Katara breathes out, tears sliding down her cheeks as she sadly nods. "A beautiful name, for a beautiful boy."

* * * 

Lin buries her son alone.

She goes out in the dead of night, when no one is awake. She takes one of the Sato snowmobiles and drives a few blocks outwards until she is far from the village. She finds a beautiful cliffside, overlooking the ocean and horizon. She eventually disembarks the snowmobile and hobbles over to the edge, breathing in the crisp, clean air of the frigid tundra. Lin uses her good arm to bend a small grave a few feet from the cliff's edge. She sits down in front of it, not even aching at the pain in her knee.

She holds her son's casket in her arms as she looks to the horizon.

"I grew up in Republic City, a place far from here," she starts as she continues to gaze out over the calm water. "I was raised by the greatest earth-bender to walk the world, a master water-bender, the leader of the Fire Nation, and the Avatar. I… I have a sister, Su--your aunt." Lin chokes as she mentions her sister, tears welling in her eyes as she forces herself to continue.

"Su is everything I'm not," Lin whispers as swallows thickly. "She is self-assured, strong-willed, and kind. Your aunt, she probably would have loved you. Doted on you, spoiled you, loved you to the ends of Earth and back." Lin's lips turn up in a bittersweet smile as she looks down to the casket. "She would have loved you more than she ever loved me, and I would have let her."

Lin takes a breath, letting nostalgia soothe old wounds. "Your father, Tenzin, is the last air-bender. We… we always wondered if you would take after him. I know he isn't here… but he loves you. He just doesn't know what to do with his grief. He and I didn't always see eye-to-eye, but once I found out I was pregnant with you, both of us knew that nothing mattered more."

Closing her eyes, Lin bites back the feeling of betrayal as she remembers Tenzin's last words to her. She ignores the sensation of anger, and instead focuses on the good memories she had shared with the air-bender. "No matter what he did to me… to us, I know that he never stopped caring," Lin whispers as she opens her eyes. "He is a good man, your father. Despite his faults, he is loyal, kind, and fair. We just… weren't right for each other. He loved you just as I do. Of that, I have no doubt in my mind."

Lin looks out to the horizon again, noticing the faint pink rays dotting the clear skies. She sighs, breathing in the fresh air. She lets silence wash over her for a few moments. She holds the box closer, before turning her gaze down to it with a small smile. 

"I know that I never had a chance to meet you," Lin whispers as she fingers over the carvings on the box. Her touches are light and gentle. "And yet, I already know that you are the most important person in my life. You have brought a hope to me that I have never experienced before. I… I don't know if I was ready to be a mother, or even cut out to be one, but I know that your life was the best thing to come to me. I just hope that wherever you are now, you are surrounded by love and joy. You'll get along well with Aang and Sokka. I have no doubt that they're watching over you, keeping you safe and warm until we can meet again."

Lin sniffles, bowing her head over the casket as she croaks, "I love you, my son. You are the light of my life."

Hazy oranges and soft pinks start to spill over the horizon, blanketing the mother and son in warm light. Lin glances up, her heart thudding in her chest as she allows herself to finally grieve the loss of her son properly. She holds the box close and cradles it close. Tears run freely from her eyes as she stares into the rising sun with a knowing look. She glances back down to the casket and takes a deep breath, before drawing herself onto her knees. She ignores the pain as she extends the box out.

And then, as the sun finally spills over the horizon and drowns them in light, Lin lowers Hikari into the grave.

"May the Spirits guide you home," Lin whispers as she steps back from the grave, "and may you rest in peace and love."

And when she bends the earth to slowly cover the grave, Lin looks back to the sunrise with a sad smile.

"I love you, Hikari." Lin whispers as she lets the last few tears run down her cheeks. "We will meet again one day."

* * * 

Lin marks the grave with an engraved stone with Hikari's name etched in Kanji. 

She places it facing towards the light, towards his namesake.

With one last glance at his final resting place, Lin turns around and makes her way back home.

* * * 

When she returns, she sees Zuko waiting for her.

He doesn't ask her where she's been, and part of Lin knows it's because Zuko doesn't _need_ to. The man greets her with a sympathetic smile, before he wraps her into a gentle hug. Lin doesn't wrap her arms around him, but she allows herself a moment to just sink into his warm embrace before she pulls away. Zuko's eyes mist as he gently places his hand on her cheek.

Lin looks to him, drinking in his silent support before she clears her throat shakily. 

"When's Sokka's funeral?" She asks, avoiding the topic pressing at his lips. Zuko removes his hand and sighs. 

"Tomorrow," he says as he glances down. "Toph and Su have gotten word. They'll be here tomorrow morning."

Lin's heart stops at the sound of her sister's name. It had been nearly ten or eleven years since they'd last seen each other, and a few years less since they'd last spoken. Instantly, relief courses through her, knowing full and well that Suyin is alive. While she's not enthused to see her mother again, a sudden realization hits her and she begins to panic.

"Do they… do they know?" Lin asks, not willing to say the actual words. Zuko pauses before shaking his head.

"I figured you would want to be the one to tell them," he replies. Lin just takes a breath and contemplates.

"No," she decides firmly, "I won't tell them. He's not… I just… I _can't_ …" 

Zuko nods. "I will not say a word. Neither will the others."

"Good," Lin nods as she sighs in relief. "Maybe if one day, when things aren't so… _you know_ … I will."

"It takes as long as it takes," Zuko says as he leans down to kiss her forehead. "You should rest, Lin."

Unlike every other time she's argued, Lin just nods and allows the man to guide her back into the palace. She passes Tonraq and Senna on the way, noticing that Korra is wrapped tightly in the Water Tribe Chief's arms. She feels her gut flip in jealously for a brief moment. When she looks up to meet his gaze, she sees the remorse and gratitude in the man's deep blue eyes. He bows his head in respect, and Senna follows. Lin feels her eyes water as she just nods, unable to reply back as she walks away.

Lin arrives at her room, opening the door to see Tenzin sitting at the foot of her bed.

"You buried him?" Tenzin asks, his voice cracking as he looks up. Lin's heart clenches at the sorrow in his eyes.

"He's on the cliff over looking the ocean," Lin replies as she swallows down her grief. "It's the place you first took me when we came to visit the Water Tribe for the Solstice Festival. We danced under the moon with no music. That's the place where--"

"Where I first told you I loved you," Tenzin finishes, smiling sadly. "I remember that day well."

"We watched the sunrise together," Lin reminisces bittersweetly. "It was beautiful. I… I wanted him to experience it, too."

Tenzin just nods as Lin bites at her lip, trying to hold back tears. He breaks the silence moments later.

"Mom told me you named him Hikari," Tenzin says as Lin closes her eyes. "It's… it's perfect, Lin." He stands up and wraps his arms around her, and despite their fight days earlier, Lin can't help but fold into his arms, seeking out his familiar comfort. 

"Maybe… maybe one day we can visit him together," Tenzin asks, his voice trembling. Lin doesn't reply, but she nods.

"One day," Lin echoes as she slumps against him tiredly. "Just not today."

* * * 

That night, in the solitude of her own room and darkness of light, Lin reaches under her bed.

She grabs at the bottle which she had taken from the kitchen earlier, and walks to the balcony. She glances behind her to where the door is locked, before she unscrews the lid and brings the bottle up to her lips to take a swig. The alcohol burns down her throat and she winces. She'd once vowed to never touch the stuff after seeing what it had done to her mother, but Lin is cold and bitter and lonely. In some messed up sense, she understands what attracted her mother to it in the first place.

Lin leans over on the railing, staring out at the quiet tranquility of the village. She lets herself get wrapped up in her thoughts as she continues to drink. Her mind grows hazy as she thinks of her mother, her sister, of their lives since they'd last reunited. She feels the familiar sting of abandonment course through her veins as she remembers how they'd all drifted apart. Lin stares blankly ahead as the alcohol begins to numb her senses and leave her vulnerable to the dark side of her mind.

But it doesn't matter anymore. She completed her job. She protected the Avatar.

Lin couldn't care less what happens next.

So she drinks and drinks, until she can't feel anything anymore.

* * * 

Lin doesn't sleep that night.

She's probably still drunk, and even though she'd taken two showers and brushed her teeth, she knows that if anyone came close enough, they'd be able to tell something isn't right. A part of her feels guilty, that she's disrespecting the man who saved her life, but another part is numb to emotion. Her eyes are bloodshot and her lips are cracked, and Lin knows she's a mess. She struggles to put herself together as she slides on her tank top and tucks it into her pants. Her hands graze over the padding on her stomach and she pauses, staring at it. Suddenly, she envisions blood and flesh, she hears the sound of a baby wailing--

"Lin?"

The metal-bender blinks out of the memory to see Kya hovering in the doorway, looking concerned.

"Yeah?" Lin breathes out, still slipping in and out of the flashback. "What… what's going on?"

"Everyone is downstairs," Kya says as she peers at Lin with an unreadable expression. "You're late. I got worried."

"I'm fine," Lin bitterly snaps back, her head pounding as she struggles with her shirt. "I'm just… this stupid thing…"

"Here," Kya whispers as she walks in, reaching out for the shirt. "Let me help."

Lin doesn't protest as Kya's nimble fingers do up each individual button on her shirt. She just watches helplessly as the other woman helps her dress, before tucking the shirt into her pants and gently smoothing over the material. When Kya's hands gently graze over her stomach, Lin pulls back as if she'd been burned. Kya flinches guiltily, her eyes tearing up as Lin looks down.

"Sorry," Kya apologizes quietly. "I didn't mean…"

"It's fine," Lin gruffly bites out. "Come on, let's go."

"Wait," Kya whispers, her hand tugging on Lin's shakily. "I just…"

Lin looks up, brokenhearted as Kya reaches out and wraps her arms around Lin's shoulders. For a moment, Lin is transported to the last night they had spent together, and she hates how her throat burns for another drink. She remembers Kya's lips on hers, the smoothness of her skin, the strong beat of her heart like a war drum in her chest. She remembers the words they'd exchanged, whispered in the darkness for fear of them drifting away. She remembers their final, tender kiss, before Kya left.

"I'm sorry," Kya cries into her shoulder as Lin remains motionless. "I'm so sorry, Lin…"

Lin just stands silently as Kya rubs her palms up and down her rigid back, unable to even register the feeling in her state.

"We should go," Lin hoarsely rasps as she finally finds the words. Kya just gives her one last squeeze before pulling back. She can see the water-bender searching for signs of life amidst the hopelessness in her own green eyes, but Lin doesn't say anything. 

When Kya reaches for her hand, Lin doesn't rip it away.

When Kya leans forward, pressing a poignant kiss to her cheek, Lin doesn't flinch.

And when Kya tugs her towards the door, Lin doesn't hesitate to follow.

* * *

When Lin limps down the stairs, her gaze immediately falls to her mother.

Toph is sitting with her back to her, slouched over and mourning as she stares into the open flames of the fire place. For a moment, Lin feels like she's transported back to months ago when she'd been here for Aang's death. She remembers the words she had exchanged with her mother, and how Toph hadn't fought her back, hadn't done more to search for forgiveness. 

Only this time, Lin doesn't have the energy to be angry.

And when Toph turns, looking to Lin with one of the most distraught expressions she's seen on her mother's face, Lin doesn't have the heart to be angry either.

Toph's eyes are rimmed red with from tears, and Lin can make out the grey in her hair standing out a bit starker than before. Her mother looks haggard and weary, and Lin can't help but feel guilty for a second. She feels guilty because she finds herself staring at her mother in understanding--understanding of the pain, the loneliness, the heartbreak, the loss. She feels it all, and it hurts.

Toph struggles to her feet as she nods at Lin, her blind eyes avoiding her gaze.

"Your sister will be here soon," Toph says as she looks to the ground. "She's missed you."

Lin looks away, gnawing at her lip as she feels emotion overwhelm her. Toph nods, understanding Lin isn't going to reply.

"I know how to read a room," Toph says with a sad chuckle as she turns towards the door. "I'll meet you outside, kid."

Lin doesn't curse her out. She doesn't start shouting or screaming. She just looks to her mother, and thinks of her own son. A part of her wants to tell Toph, to seek her comfort and advice. Another part wants her to walk away, to never see her again. Instead, Lin does neither. She just stands, watching with a blank expression as Toph makes her way out of the palace.

"Lin?" Kya asks from beside her, their hands still lightly grasped together. "Are you okay?"

"No," Lin mumbles as she removes their hands and hobbles away, "but it doesn't matter. Let's just get this over with."

* * * 

Suyin doesn't show up to the funeral. 

Toph said that she could have been late, but Lin doesn't care. She's empty and cold on the inside, filled with a void that will never heal. She watches the ceremony with a distant gaze, unable to respond to anyone's questions with more than one word. She feels like she's outside of herself, watching her own body and not within it. When Katara places her brother's wrapped body on the raft, she doesn't speak. When Kya and Katara sing a Water Tribe Lament, she doesn't cry. When Tonraq pushes the boat out to sea, she doesn't move. When Zuko stands strong and brave, firing a volley of fire at the retreating boat, she doesn't breathe.

As the flaming boat retreats into the sea, Lin doesn't feel anything.

It's only as she turns her gaze to her mother, who's crying freely, does Lin feel her heart stop up in her chest.

Lin had always regarded Toph as an immovable object, an unrelenting force. She had never in all of her years seen her mother cry, not even on the day of Aang's funeral. Toph had always made herself out to be impenetrable, impervious to pain or loss. 

But as she looks to her mother now, she feels as if she is looking at a different woman.

Unable to take the raw emotion on Toph's face, Lin turns on her heel.

But when she looks up, it's to see her sister staring back at her, eyes misty as she gazes in her direction. 

"Hi Lin," Suyin greets, her voice shaky and sorrowful. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

All of the sudden, Lin feels her throat close up. The anger returns, stronger and harsher than before. It feels like a tidal wave, and she can't keep up for the fear of drowning. She can feel her mother's gaze on her back, as well as Kya's. It's a stand-off as Lin stares at her sister, unable to recognize the grown woman who stands before her as the young girl she'd once known and loved. It only hits her then, as she sees the faint lines on Suyin's brow, that this is the first time she's seen Suyin in a decade.

But it's too much, and with everything that Lin's been through in the last day, she can't take it.

For the first time, _Lin_ is the one to walk away without looking back.

* * * 

Lin finds herself sitting on the edge of the cliff, tracing the faint speck of smoke from Sokka's boat.

She follows it, not wanting to let go, as she lifts the bottle in her hand to her lips.

The alcohol burns its way down her throat, but Lin doesn't care. She welcomes the sting with pleasure. She can feel her head getting dizzy as she continues to down more of the potent drink. At some point, Sokka's boat drifts out of view, and Lin just stares blankly at the last place she'd seen it, knowing that the man who'd protected her is now gone forever. The bottle dangles in her fingers, still half-full, as she bows her head and sends a silent prayer to the Spirits, wishing Sokka a safe journey.

"Say hi to him for me," she whispers as closes her eyes. "Hug him… and tell him I love him."

Lin chokes back a cry as she opens her eyes and stares into horizon and whispers, "tell him I'm sorry."

A faint wind blows through her hair, and Lin's tears break through at the gentle response.

Silently, Lin sits as she watches the sunset over the water, filling the sky with a bleeding ray of orange and red.

She sits there for what seems like hours, watching as light turns to dark and the stars come out to pain the sky in a brilliant constellation of light. She gazes up to them, trying to make out where each one stops and begins. She maps lines between them, names them, distracts herself with other-worldly things because her current world doesn't offer much to go by. She thinks of other worlds, realities in which she's happy, blessed with her family and friends, where she knows only love, not pain.

Lin allows herself to indulge in alternate realities as she downs more of the drink. 

"I never would have pegged you as the one to run away from your problems."

Lin doesn't turn around at the sound of Suyin's soft voice. The alcohol has numbed her well enough that she doesn't feel hurt. Lin just continues staring blankly ahead as she hears the crunch of footsteps on snow behind her. Slowly, she hears Suyin sigh as the younger woman sits next to her. Lin doesn't acknowledge her as she lifts the bottle again and takes a long, slow swig.

"You drink?" Suyin asks, her voice hurt as she stares at Lin. The older metal-bender just snorts.

"What do you care?" Lin asks emotionlessly. "You haven't been here in a decade."

Suyin flinches at that, and Lin has just enough humility to internally wince at her jab. Suyin tugs her knees up to her chest, and Lin feels like she's seventeen again, watching over her sister protectively from outside the hall. She knows that Suyin was an unfortunate causality in the rift between herself and her mother. Never would Lin ever want Suyin to get hurt, even now.

"Sokka was my father," Suyin blurts out randomly, "Mom told me a year before I left Republic City."

Lin doesn't reply as Suyin wraps her arms around her knees, shivering slightly. "I never really spoke to him about it, but before I was… before _I left_ , he came up to me and told me that he was sorry for never telling me the truth. We sat and talked for hours, and I guess I understood where I came from. You're more like Mom. Strong, brave, steady. I was always the outlier."

Lin keeps quiet, her eyes glazing as she looks to the horizon. Suyin sniffles as she glances over to Lin with a solemn look. "You're different now…," Suyin mumbles as she gazes at Lin up and down. "You look more like how Mom used to look."

"Don't," Lin growls as she glares in the other woman's direction, "don't you _dare_ compare me to her."

"Mom's changing," Suyin says back, her eyes growing hard. "But you won't even speak to her, will you?"

"So you and her are pals, then?" Lin chuckles sarcastically, bringing the bottle back up to her lips. "Good to know."

"What's wrong with you?" Suyin asks, her voice wrought with emotion. "I… I thought you would be happy to see me, Lin. I know the circumstances are not the best, but I at least thought you would have missed me." The last part comes out as a croak, and Lin hates how her chest deflates at the sound of Suyin's confusion. But instead of replying, Lin looks down to the bottle.

"People change," Lin offers with a shrug, " _I_ changed."

"Clearly," Suyin growls as tears well in the younger woman's eyes. "You've changed into a bitter, lonely woman."

"And what about you?" Lin asks, deflecting. She's not angry, not even sad as she asks, "what about _your_ life, Su?"

Before Suyin can answer, however, the pitter-patter of feet in the snow enters Lin's range of hearing. She turns her head to see a little boy with dark hair and bright green eyes come running towards them. She sees Suyin light up beside her in joy.

"Mommy!" The boy says with a grin. "I found you!"

"Junior," Suyin laughs as the boy tumbles into her back. "How did you get out here? Where's Daddy?"

"He's inside," the boy replies as he snuggles into Suyin's arm. "He got too cold."

Lin watches the exchange with a pained expression, her eyes settling on the little boy in her younger sister's arms. She thinks about her own son, and she feels herself spiralling back into the dark place within her mind. She places one hand over her stomach, trying to quell the grief which is settled and festering like an open wound. Lin watches, tears in her eyes as Suyin draws the boy in for a hug, before pressing a kiss to the top of his head. The boy smiles, closing his eyes at the comfort.

For a moment, Lin is happy. She's happy that Suyin is happy, that she has a family, and that she's in love.

But then it's gone, and Lin is left feeling empty all over again.

"Who's this, Mommy?" The boy asks, snuggling closer to Suyin as he stares at her with his big green eyes. Suyin takes a breath before she glances up to Lin. "This is your Aunt Lin, Bataar. She's my sister," Suyin explains as she ruffles his hair. "We've not seen each other in a long time." Lin's eyes mist as Bataar scrambles out of his mother's arms and into her knees.

"Hi," Bataar says sheepishly as he peers up at her. "I'm Bataar, but that's Daddy's name. Mommy just calls me Junior."

Lin looks to the boy, and then back up to Suyin. The alcohol is coursing through her, and all she can see is Hikari staring back at her. She imagines if he would look like this boy, if he would be as open and affectionate. She wonders if he would leap into her arms like Bataar did with Suyin. She wonders if he would ever look at her with so much love, as if he couldn't hold it all in. She wonders if his skin would be as soft, his hair as dishevelled. She wonders if he would have dimples like Bataar, or if his cheeks would be smooth like her own. She wonders if he would be as bright and bubbly, as inquisitive and soft, as loveable and small.

Lin looks to the boy patiently waiting for her response, and she just thinks of the place on that cliff where her own son lays buried between the ice and rock. She thinks of the boy who will never know his mother's love because his life was taken too soon. She thinks of the boy who never opened his eyes, who never drew breath, who never cried or giggled or cooed.

Lin looks to Bataar Jr. and she can only think of Hikari.

The pain is too raw, and Lin can't even speak as she drunkenly stumbles to her feet. She turns her back on a shocked Suyin, ignoring the way her sister calls out after her, first in concern and then in anger. She doesn't listen to Bataar's confused cries.

Lin just keeps walking, her feet barely holding up her weight as she aimlessly stumbles away.

* * * 

Three bottles in and it's safe to say that Lin is wasted.

She's standing over Hikari's grave, staring down at the inscription with tears in her eyes. She's so drunk she can barely see, but she doesn't stop. At this point, she doesn't care. She keeps chugging it back, trying and failing to numb the loss within her. She stumbles to her knees in front of her son's tombstone, bending a piece of rock behind her so she can rest her back against it. She tosses away the empty bottle in her hand once she's finished before she closes her eyes and leans against the cold surface.

"If I could see, I'm sure it must be a great view."

Lin opens her eyes to her mother's voice. She turns, but the sudden movement is dizzying. She grabs at her head, forcing herself to choke down the bile that rises up her throat. She waits a few moments for her stomach to settle before she stares up at her mother with a pained and confused expression. Her unkempt hair blows in her face, but Lin doesn't make an effort to tuck the stubborn curl behind her ear. Toph looks down at her mournfully, her eyes unfocused and misty as she stands there, flexing her fingers unsurely. Lin sways to her feet, steadying herself upon her good leg as she wraps her arm around her stomach. 

"What are you doing here?" Lin growls, anger burning through her like a forest-fire. "How did you find me?"

"You must be stupider than I thought if you think I didn't know," Toph says, though her voice is not unkind as the woman steps forward. "I knew you were pregnant when you came to Aang's funeral with Tenzin. I thought you'd eventually tell me." Something in the older woman's voice changes, and Lin grits her teeth in rage as she detects sympathy coming off of Toph in waves. 

Lin stays quiet as Toph steps forward slowly. "Lin…"

"You told me you Su came to visit you in Omashu," Lin interrupts, not wanting to hear what her mother has to say. "Did you know that she had a child? That she was married?" Toph looks away guiltily, and Lin feels betrayal sink deep into her gut.

"You didn't just know, did you?" Lin breathes out as her vision starts to blacken with fury. "You were there! You stood by her at her wedding didn't you? You probably were so happy, so fucking happy, that your favourite child didn't turn into a fuck up--"

"Lin," Toph pleads as Lin advances on her. "I…"

"Go on then," Lin chuckles sardonically. "Give me the excuse. What is it this time? You didn't know where I was? You thought I was busy? You thought I couldn't be bothered with my family so I'd fuck off and never see them again? Go on then, spit it out!"

"Lin, it wasn't my decision to leave you out! I wanted you to come to the wedding, I swear I did!" Toph exclaims, her own bite coming into her voice. "Su didn't want you there because she knew you and I were still not on good terms--"

"Not on good terms?!" Lin shouts, tears filling her eyes. "You _left_ me! You never even wrote me _once_!"

"It wasn't like that, Lin. I put a lot on your shoulders," Toph says in a hard voice. "I know what I did and I'm guilty for it. But you never gave me the chance to apologize. I wanted to come clean, I wanted to mend things, but you wouldn't even listen."

"I thought you were dead," Lin breathes out, her shoulders shaking from exhaustion. "I thought you and Su were dead. I… I was so worried for so many months, and then I was sad. So inexplicably sad, because my mother and my sister walked out on me. I thought that maybe you had gone your separate ways, but to know you both still kept in touch, that you… that you…"

Lin can't hold back the sob that creeps up her throat as she looks away, unable to finish her sentence. Lin looks back down to the grave, her body feeling sluggish and hazy from the overload of emotion. She's so incredibly tired that she stops caring.

"You both just walked away," Lin says as she reaches down for an unopened bottle. "You never bothered to look back."

"It wasn't like that!" Toph snarls as she snatches the bottle from Lin's hands. "Enough, Lin. I didn't mean to leave you."

"Then where were you when I needed you?!" Lin bellows, grabbing the bottle back. "Where were you when I was nineteen and in charge of an entire police force on the back of one of the biggest arrests to come of the city? Where were you when Xai Bau attacked Air Temple Island?! Where were you when I _killed_ him because I couldn't bear to let something happen to the actual family that raised me?! Where were you when Aang was sick, when he could barely move because his heart was so fragile?"

Toph splutters, stepping back as Lin shouts the questions, her hands clenching as she draws up a block of earth. "Where were you, _Mom_ , when Zaheer and his gang attacked the Avatar? Where were you when he killed Sokka, sliced him up from throat to chest, right in front of my eyes? Where were you when P'Li took the shot and ripped my own _son_ from my womb?" 

She can hear her mother's laboured breathing as Lin hisses, "where were you when Tenzin broke up with me only days later, telling me he'd found love with another woman _before_ I'd even been pregnant? Where were you when I buried my son alone?!"

Lin's crying now, the tears flowing down her cheeks as she collapses to her knees in a heap. She can feel Toph's heartbeat accelerating as Lin looks up in disgust and sorrow. "Where were you, Mom? Where… _where were you_?"

Lin lets the rocks fall into the ice, her back caving as she sobs uncontrollably into the snow. She wails into the whistling winds, the full force of her grief finally slamming through her weakened frame. She can hardly breathe as she curls around herself, her hands going up to clutch at her scalp. She continues to let out agonizing cries, rocking back and forth in a slow sway.

"H-Haven't you done enough?" Lin cries as she looks up to her mother with blurred vision. "Haven't you tormented me enough for one lifetime? Why do you keep coming back for more? I can't take it… please… I can't take it anymore. I… I _can't_ , Mom."

Lin's arms fold around her stomach as she hangs her head, letting her cries subside. Toph just stands there, watching, dumbfounded and unsure of what to say or do. Lin eventually calms, her body tiring from the sheer force of her sobs. She slowly makes her way to her feet, grabbing at the bottle which had fallen to the ground before bending the metal cap off.

"You know," Lin whispers with a sad chuckle as she takes a sip, "I think I understand why you like it so much."

Toph tries to reach out, but Lin snaps her arm backwards. "If you want to share," Lin hiccups with a sneer, "use your words."

"Put it away, Lin. Don't ruin your life like I did," Toph says as she reaches again, but Lin shakes her head. 

" _Ruin_ my life?" Lin laughs before gesturing around her. "Look around me, Mom. It's already ruined!"

"Lin--"

"My mother and my sister walked out on me. My boyfriend cheated on me and dumped me," Lin lists, her voice hardening as she clutches the bottle tighter. "My son is dead. There's nothing left for me to ruin, because it's all gone, Mom. It's all  _gone_."

Lin downs a large sip, uncaring of the alcohol which runs off her chin and dribbles into the snow. "So you can take your concern, your sage advice, and stick it up your ass for all I care. Your words mean nothing to me. I've _always_ had to watch my own back."

When Toph doesn't move, Lin's lips curl upwards into a snarl. "Well, what are you standing there for? Get out of my face!"

"Lin," Toph says as she stands her ground, albeit unsurely. "I can't let you do this. I… I won't let you."

"Or else what?" Lin asks, arching her brow. "Will you throw me around like you did when I was a kid?"

"Spirits, Lin!" Toph snaps as she reaches out, using Lin's coils to metal-bend the bottle from the woman's grasp. She throws it to the side, uncaring as the contents spill out into the snow. "I'm sorry for what I did to you, and if you never forgive me, so be it. But I will not stand here and watch you throw everything you've ever worked for away because you can't pull yourself together!"

"I am so sick of you telling me what to do," Lin snarls as she clenches her fists, drawing up the boulders. "You want to see what I'm made of, huh? You want to see what you turned me into? Then put your fists up and let's settle this, right here, right now."

Toph doesn't reply, and Lin feels the anger take control.

She chucks the blocks in her mother's direction, but Toph easily dodges them. Lin keeps pushing her backwards, launching rocks and rubble in her direction. She kicks her feet out, causing the older woman to slip. In her drunken state, she doesn't care that this is the woman who'd raised her. She only sees the source of all of her pain and insecurities. She keeps throwing the rocks incessantly. But Toph gives as good as she gets, and she disarms each attack without hesitation. She's focused on simply defending herself, not attacking Lin. When the younger woman takes notice, Lin's anger only burbles up higher than before.

"Fight back!" Lin screams as stamps her foot down, drawing up a wall of earth before she shoves it forwards. Toph is sent tumbling backwards as Lin pulls out two more boulders, hovering them above her own shoulder. "Come on then, _Mother_! You never hesitated before, so why stop now?! Remember what you said to me? Beifong's are fighters. So go on, fight me!"

When Toph just stares up at her from where she lays, Lin's eyes grow cold and hard.

"I'm sorry," Toph whispers as Lin raises the boulders above her head. "I never meant to turn you into this."

Lin's shoulders deflate and the rocks drop at the confession. She just looks to her mother dejectedly, all the anger and pain she'd once felt now numbing down into a meaningless void. She crumbles to her knees, looking to her hands as she realizes that she had attempted to hurt her mother the same way Toph had once done to her. While she thought the feeling would be satisfaction, she only feels remorse and defeat. She looks to her weathered palms and realizes that Suyin had been right about what she said.

"I've become my worst nightmare," Lin whispers sadly, looking up to gaze at Toph. "I've become _you_."

Toph's eyes widen and grow wet with tears, but Lin hangs her head in shame. The two of them stay there in silence, neither able to move or speak as the dust and ice settles around them. The roaring wind dies down to a gentle murmur, and Lin can feel the ache in her bones spread throughout her body. Her fingers are turning blue and her toes are numb, but none of it matters.

"Lin?" A familiar voice yells out in concern. "Mom?! What happened?"

Lin barely has the energy to look up to see Suyin running towards them, her eyes wide with fear as she takes in the destruction. She immediately runs to Toph's side, placing her hand on her mother's arm to check if she's alright. Lin barely flinches as Suyin's concern quickly turns into fury. She watches her younger sister stand, hoisting her mother up to stand behind her in protection.

"What is wrong with you?" Suyin growls, gazing around at the littered debris and rock. Lin watches with tears in her eyes as Suyin raises her own fists, preparing for a fight. "Why were you attacking her? She wanted to talk! You could have _killed_ her, Lin!"

Lin doesn't reply as her gaze flits over to Toph's own blank one. For a moment, she wishes her mother could see. That she could truly take in the depth of the damage she'd inflicted all these years. When Lin doesn't respond, Suyin growls out in frustration.

A block of earth hits her square in the chest, knocking her backwards. For a second, Lin wants to laugh because she can't feel it. She can't feel the familiar burn of pain. She just lays on her back, staring up at the sky as Suyin yells out from in front of her.

"If you want to fight someone then fight me!" Suyin snaps as she shoves another rock in her direction. Lin doesn't even raise her fists to deflect the hit. She lets the rock smash into her shoulder, sending her tumbling backwards again. She continues to remain motionless, uncaring whether Suyin decides to attack or retreat. A part of her silently pleads for it all to end.

Lin closes her eyes and thinks of her son, of Aang and Sokka, of Zuko and Izumi, of Tenzin and Kya.

Then she thinks of Suyin, of her child and her husband, and she smiles.

The next block of earth hits her hard enough to send her flying backwards, causing her body to slam against a tree trunk. Lin just falls forward, face flat in the snow as she hears the muffled sound of Toph and Suyin arguing. She can feel wetness around her stomach, and Lin has just enough energy to glance down to see the padding of her bandage turning a dark crimson. She can taste the bitter iron of blood in her mouth, but she doesn't spit out. She lets it gather, her vision growing darker and darker.

Maybe this is how it was all meant to end, she thinks as she feels herself lose sensation in her limbs. Maybe this is how she was meant to die, at the hands of the one person she had protected, the one person she has always loved to the ends of the earth. 

"Lin!" 

She blinks her eyes open to see Suyin standing over her, green eyes filled with horror and shock.

"Go on then," Lin whispers dejectedly as she swallows the wad of blood in her mouth, "f-finish it."

"Lin no!" Suyin calls out, but Lin feels herself slipping away, "Please, no! Kya's coming, just hold on. I… I didn't mean to…"

But Lin just closes her eyes and lets herself fall into the abyss, finally having found no more reason to keep fighting.

* * * 

When Lin wakes up again, Toph is sitting beside her.

"Does she know?" Lin asks. Toph's eyes water, and Lin clears her throat as she croaks, "that I… that I _lost_ …" 

Lin hates that she can barely speak the words. The pain is still raw, the wound open and festering--reminding her of her mistake. Toph waits before she shakes her head, tears slowly sliding down the woman's cheeks. Lin just sighs in solemn relief. 

"Good," Lin says, folding an arm over her stomach before leaning to sit up. Toph goes to help her, but Lin swats her hand away gently, refusing her help. She stumbles to her feet, shucking on a robe from the dresser and tightens it against her frame.

"Don't tell her," Lin says in a soft voice, not looking over her shoulder. "I don't want her feeling guilty."

The words are not said with sarcasm or malice, but just informatively. There's no more fight left in her body, and as Lin looks into the mirror to stare at her bruised, haggard body, she realizes that she looks just as well. Toph stands, but doesn't move.

"I named him Hikari," Lin says after sometime, fiddling with the drawstrings of her robe. "I gave him that, at least."

Toph doesn't reply, but Lin isn't sure she could handle it if her mother did say anything. So she just stands there, gazing into the mirror at her glossy green eyes. When she looks at her reflection, it feels as though she's staring into a ghost. She doesn't make out an ounce of life in her expression, and her pale skin, combined with the bags under her eyes, makes her feel nonexistent.

"Does he love her?" Lin asks, looking away from herself. "This… _Bataar_ guy. Does he love her?"

Toph swallows thickly as she rasps, "yeah, he does. He's a little too lovey-dovey, but… he's good with her and their kid."

Lin's eyes water as she nods, chuckling sadly. "Good… because if he ever breaks her heart, I'll break his entire body."

"I told him the same," Toph snorts lightly, her tone bittersweet. "Poor guy pissed himself. Made for a great wedding toast."

"I'd bet," Lin whispers as she feels her eyes misting. "I'm glad you went. I'm… I'm glad she has you."

"Lin…"

"Don't leave her," Lin says as she turns to face her mother with determination. "You can't leave her again, Mom. You have to be there for her. Watch over her kids, tease her husband, help her out--whatever you do, just don't leave her like you left me."

"I won't," Toph promises as she slowly walks towards Lin. "Leaving you was the biggest regret I've ever had, Lin."

Lin just shakes her head, looking down, opting not to reply. She's not sure she's ready to hear her mother apologize. The two of them stand there quietly, unsure of what to do next. It's like they're both precariously hovering over the edge of a ledge.

One wrong move, one misspoken word, and they'll both fall.

"Why don't you come back to stay with me awhile in Zaofu with Su?" Toph asks after some time, cautiously reaching for Lin's hand. "It might do you some good to get away from the island. You can clear your head, take in the marvel of the city that your sister built. While you're there, you could take the time to get to know her family." Lin looks to their clasped hands, a pang of jealousy shooting through her as she listens to the pride in her mother's voice when she talks about Suyin's accomplishments.

It's a pride Toph has never used towards her before.

"I can't," she whispers briskly, removing their hands, "I'm not ready for that just yet."

Toph sucks in a deep breath, before she nods in solemn understanding. "I know I messed up a lot in my life, and I know that I've done and said things that I can't take back," Toph says softly, "but I want you to know that… I'm sorry… for everything."

Lin's mother sucks in a deep breath, her head bowed as she whispers, "if something ever happened to you and Su…"

"Mom," Lin croaks, tears misting in her eyes as she knows where this is going and wants it to stop.

"Lin…," Toph whimpers as she looks up to her daughter, "I'm sorry about what happened… about your son--"

"Mom!" Lin hisses, taking a step away from her, shaking her head as she feels the memories come crawling back. "Please… I don't want to talk about it." She pictures his tiny face, his soft nose, the blood on his skin, his torn limbs, his cold body.

"I'm sorry," Toph whispers as she hangs her head in shame. "I just… I don't know what to do."

"I think you should go," Lin interrupts, avoiding eye-contact with her mother. "Besides, I need to get back to the city."

Toph looks at her a moment before she takes a deep breath and nods. "Right… you're right."

"Take care of Su," Lin whispers as she moves aside so the older earth-bender can pass. "And… yourself."

"Just as long as you do too," Toph says, gently reaching out to squeeze Lin's shoulder. "Don't do what I did, kid. You could have a million problems, but none of the solutions will be inside that bottle. I… I learned that the hard way. You don't need to, too."

When Lin doesn't reply, Toph sighs and heads for the door. As she approaches it, she pauses, her hand covering the knob lightly. Lin keeps her gaze glued to the floor, her eyes fixating on a crack near the wall as she hears her mother draw a deep breath.

"And Lin?" Toph whispers softly. "I have _always_ been proud of you."

Lin clenches her jaw, fighting back tears as she hears her mother's throat catch on the words.

"I love you, kid." Toph rasps the words hoarsely, her voice thick with emotion. "I'm sorry… that I never showed it enough."

Lin's eyes close she hears Toph take another breath before leaving, the door closing softly behind her.

Once she hears her mother's footsteps recede, Lin finally allows a tear to fall.

* * * 

Lin leaves for Republic City early the next morning after bidding farewell to Tonraq and Senna. 

The two water-benders give her a hug and thank her for protecting their daughter, and tell her to visit, even if not on official White Lotus business. Lin just nods, but both of them know that the metal-bender still needs time to process. She just leaves them each with a bow, before she hoists her bag on her shoulder and makes her way down towards the docks. The sun has barely risen over the water, but the calm, quiet air is soothing as Lin braces herself against the frigid winter winds.

Just as she's about to get onto the dock, a voice calls out from behind her.

"You didn't think you would leave without saying goodbye, did you Chief?"

Lin's lips turn up in a small, sad smile as she cocks her head to where Kya stands, arms crossed.

"Duty calls, remember?" Lin attempts to joke, but her voice cracks. Kya's eyes soften as she walks up to her. The water-bender's warm hands gently cup her cheek, before sliding down to fiddle with the collar of her shirt. She straightens it with a light tug.

"There," Kya says quietly, "all better."

"I never thanked you," Lin says, gazing up into those frosty blue eyes. "For what you did… for Hikari."

Lin reaches down and gently holds one of Kya's hands. "I… I got to put give him a proper rest because of you."

"I wish I could have done more," Kya murmurs defeatedly, "I tried--"

"I know," Lin hushes her, giving her hand a soft squeeze. "I'm grateful, Kya. For everything."

"One day, your son will get to know what a hero his mother was," Kya says, her free hand reaching up to slowly curl one of the free strands of hair lingering in front of Lin's face to behind her ear. "He's probably out there, already watching, proud of you."

Lin hangs her head, eyes misting as Kya leans in to wrap her arms around her shoulders. "He loves you," she whispers into her ear as the water-bender presses her body closer. "He loves you just as much as you love him. Don't forget that, Lin."

Lin just nods, unable to reply as she pulls back and offers Kya a sad smile. "Thank you… for being there."

"I wasn't lying, you know? All those years ago," Kya says as she blushes and fumbles with Lin's collar. "I meant it when I said I'll always love you. I… I still do. But I know that you're not ready for that, and I know that things are still raw between you and Tenzin--which by the way, I will totally water-whip his ass for pulling the stunt that he did, but I just need you to know that I--"

Kya's voice is suddenly cut off as Lin leans forward without thinking, pressing their lips together.

The water-bender is stunned for a moment before she loses herself in the raw emotion of the kiss. The two women close their eyes in unison, afraid to open them until their tidal wave of love recedes. Lin drops her bag on the ground, her hands going up to cup Kya's jaw as the water-bender's hands pull her in closer by her hips. The kiss grows passionate and poignant as they tug each other closer, as if even the most smallest of distances would tear them apart. Tears stain both their cheeks as Lin deepens the kiss, venting out the aches and pain she's carried for so long. She whimpers, clutching at Kya desperately, her lips quivering.

Kya's hands stay tightly woven around the small of her back, her head leaning down just so slightly. Their noses brush as Kya changes the angle of the kiss, slowing it down. Lin's breaths are uneven and ragged as Kya continues to press soft, quick kisses to her lips, her hands rubbing smooth circles into the small of her back. The touch is all Kya: soothing, quiet, and healing.

Moments later, the two of them barely come up for air as they remained pressed close, scared to let go.

"I love you," Lin whispers as she pulls away, "I do… but… I can't. Not right now."

"I know," Kya replies back softly, her voice cracking. "But just know that I'm here… whenever you _can_."

The ship's horn blows in the background, reminding Lin of her purpose of walking down so early. Kya just offers a remorseful, but knowing smile as she puts a bit of space between the two of them. Her hands are on Lin's shoulders, while Lin's hands have moved to the taller woman's waist. They both lean forward, allowing their foreheads to touch softly as their eyes close.

"Make sure you stay safe, Chief," Kya chuckles bittersweetly, holding Lin closer to her body. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too," Lin replies, pressing another soft kiss to the woman's lips. "Look after Korra and Katara for me."

"I will," Kya promises as she reaches up to gently trace Lin's jaw, still refusing to open her eyes. "You take care too, alright? I don't want you making any surprise visits down here with a new problem. I already told you, you're my worst patient."

Lin chuckles sadly, sniffling as Kya kisses her one final time. She allows herself to get lost in the soft swipe of the water-bender's smooth tongue against her lip, before she parts her mouth to allow the kiss to deepen. They stay together, carefree in their little bubble of warmth and love, before the ship's horn blasting breaks them apart. Both women blush and look away shyly.

"Go on then," Kya says as she straightens Lin's collar once more. "Duty calls, right Chief?"

Lin reaches for her bag before hoisting it over her shoulder with a huff. She looks to the ship with a renewed sense of vigour. She sets her face determinedly as she glances back to Kya. The water-bender just gives her an understanding nod before stepping back. Lin takes a deep breath, gazing up at the cliffside where as the sun bathes warm light over the area Hikari is buried.

Lin smiles, tears misting in her eyes as she whispers into the wind, " _duty calls._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls don't hate me this was such a hassle to edit and i'm tired and gay so yikes @ me.
> 
> also there were a lot of clexa references in here because i couldn't help myself
> 
> also i changed izumi’s age in the first chapter because high key because i forgot that i actually wanted her to be older, sorry!
> 
> so the ages should be like this 
> 
> Izumi - 31.   
> Bumi - 30.   
> Lin - 29.   
> Kya - 28 (she’s really only a few months younger than Lin tho).   
> Suyin - 25.   
> Tenzin - 24. 
> 
> anyways i can’t do math but that’s the best i got lmao.


End file.
